Of Fetishes, Nerds, and Heroes
by Clearbrook
Summary: Edward Cullen has a fetish. Not just any fetish, but the sexiest fetish to ever be fantasized about, and from the hair, to the clothes and glasses- oh God, the glasses!- new girl Isabella is it. But her bullied past makes it hard for her to trust him
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters, I just manipulate them and force them to do my bidding :) Plot's mine though, so hand's off the merchandise. All shoplifters will be prosecuted.

Prologue

Edward Cullen had a fetish.

And it wasn't just any fetish, oh no. It was, in his 17 year old opinion, the sexiest, hottest fetish to ever be fantasized about. And while he wasn't particularly a religious guy, he found himself praying to The Big Man Upstairs every night since he had first came across the object of his extreme desires in a costume catalogue.

The Sexy Librarian.

Hell, a sexy nerd was just as good. Something about the glasses. The prim and dorky clothes hiding a tight and lithe body that no one got to see but him. A woman who didn't display the goods for the whole world to see...who, in the privact of his bedroom would take off her glasses, shake out her hair and say "Do you know what the fee is for an overdue book Mr. Cullen?" or "Hi Mr. Cullen. I'm here to take care of that problem you're having with your hard drive."

He dreamed about it, pictured it in his mind constantly. He even had an entire 10 gigs of porn solely dedicated to it on his computer. Hadn't watched any other kind since he was 14.

Shit, if he got to play out that fantasy just one time, he'd never have to watch the porn again...or at least, not for a few months. If he got to actually BE with a girl like that, then he would die a very happy man. And if he got to-

"EDWAAAAAAARD!"

His twin's voice had the power of a bucket of ice water over his a sigh, he flounced back into his pillows. At least Mjolnir's death was a quick one. Maybe he could just ignore the brat and she would go away so he could get in some 'private movie time' before school.

No such luck.

She started pounding on the door."

"EDWARD!" she yelled. "Come on lazy! Get up!"

"Alice!" he whined back, not wanting to move from his soft and supple bed. "What's the big damn deal? We don't have to be at school for another hour!"

"Just move your ass mister. There's gonna be a new student today and I've got a very good feeling about this."


	2. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Twilight universe characters. Just this plot

Chapter 1

Isabella Swan stared up at her new school with a small amount of trepidation stirring up her insides. Okay, a lot of trepidation. It was so tiny! That meant that she, as the new kid, was pretty much undeniably going to be the center of attention for a while. Just great. Just what she needed, more attention. All the 'attention' she got at her last school had landed her a trip to the hospital and a move to Washington to stay with a dad that she barely even knew.

To be fair though, it wasn't Charlie's fault that he and his only daughter were practically strangers. Bella had been 6 months old when her selfish and irresponsible mother, Renee, angry because her husband had quit his dangerous job as an FBI agent and moved them to sleepy Forks, Washington, had packed her up in the middle of the night and disappeared while Charlie was working the graveyard shift down at Fork's meager police station. The poor guy had searched for them for nearly a year, and when he finally did find them, he was presented with a lovely set of divorce papers.

Charlie, who didn't want to put his baby girl through the trauma of family court for custody, bowed out and ended up losing contact with them for months at a time because the silly woman kept moving and wouldn't keep him up to date with phone numbers or addresses. At 13 Bella began to wonder why she wasn't allowed much contact with her father, who seemed to be a decent man despite her mother's stories, and so she stole his information out of one of Renee's old address books. Their tentative relationship started then when she began to call him in secret and send him cards and small gifts on birthdays and Christmases.

Renee hadn't even known that she'd had her fathers phone number until she called him from the hospital, begging him to rescue her from her mother's neglectful care and absentee parenting. He'd caught the next available flight and was there in Renee's face bright and early the next morning, demanding to know how Renee could be so careless with the safety of their only child. He'd been even more furious when he saw how they were living.

The entire house was eclectically furnished with nick-knacks from their travels scattered all over, but Bella's room had no furniture at all. She'd been sleeping on a mattress and box spring on the floor with thin, threadbare bedding. A short pile of books were stacked by the bed, and her clothes were folded and stored on the floor in one corner. Immediately he purchased a suitcase and they packed all of her belongings. After stopping for lunch and to pick up all of her personal records and paperwork she would need, they caught the next thing smoking and headed for Forks.

And now here she stood, staring up at the school building as her father drove off in his police cruiser and nervously fidgeting with her out of style glasses. She felt horribly insecure in her too large second hand clothing as other kids openly stared at her. "Because getting dropped off in a police car was sooooooo incognito" she groused to herself.

"Not to make you feel worse," A bright voice interrupted, "but they would have stared at you anyway. You're new, so it's kind of inevitable." Bella turned to see a short girl with long dark hair holding her hand out to her for a handshake. "Hi! I'm Alice. And this is my twin Edward. You are?"

Though she couldn't seem to stop for the life of her, Bella simply gaped at them. God, they were both so...pretty. Alice laughed at her, a light and tinkling sound that made her snap out of her beauty induced stupor. "I'm sorry. It's just...gosh, you've got to be the most beautiful people I've ever seen!" She blushed then, and mentally slapped herself. "S-sorry, that was stupid of me. I ramble and say crazy stuff when I'm nervous.. I'm Isabella. But you can call me Bella...um...that is, if you want."

Alice grinned, even as her brother stared at Bella with an indiscernible look frozen on his face. Bella found herself unable to look away, both dazzled by his looks and confused at his expression. She hadn't even been here 10 minutes, hadn't even made it inside the building yet and she somehow offended someone's delicate eyesight with her appearance. It was probably a new record. Seriously, it was starting to make her stupid nervous. His lips now parted in shock, he just kept staring at her.

"Edward!" Alice dug her elbow into her brother's ribs, bright smile never wearing. "Stop weirding her out! Sorry Bella, he's house trained, I promise."

Edward sent his sister a dirty glare at that comment and then it was Bella's turn to stare and blush. She couldn't seem to help herself. Even scowling, he was gorgeous. She shook her head to clear it of thoughts that would lead nowhere good. Alice caught her looking and her grin widened until Bella thought it was a wonder that it didn't split the girl's face.

"You two are hilarious!" she laughed. Bella ducked her head, mortified that she'd been caught and called out. Again, Alice laughed. "Come on you two." she sang, dragging them both inside. by their wrists. "Time for class"

Bella gulped, again hit with a strong reluctance to join the mass of high school students. The butterflies returned, increased tenfold and the looks she was receiving from her new peers didn't do much to ease her shoddy nerves.

A handful of students were laughing at her, a few perfectly primped size 0's not even trying to hide it. A sparse few smiled kindly at her, but the majority of the looks that she'd noticed were simply curious. 'Oh well,' she thought. 'Could definitely be a lot worse.'

By the time 4th period rolled around, she was definitely holding strong to that theory. For the most part, she sat in the back of all of her classes and everyone ignored her. In 2nd period she sat with Alice. Every time the tiny girl passed her in the hallway, she made sure to either speak or smile and wave if she was busy talking to someone, so that was a plus. 4th period however, was the 'highlight' of the day thus far.

She walked in the class fairly confident that no one was going to waste their time harassing the new girl. Yeah, not so much. The only empty seat in the room was in front of the two girls she'd seen laughing at her earlier.

"God, Jess, I feel so sorry for her." the first whisper came while the entire class was pouring over their worksheets. "She looks like she borrowed her outfit from my blind Grandma Katie" Bella flushed red, but kept her gaze on her math problems.

"I've met your Grandma Katie" the second girl stage-whispered back. "And I think she has better taste." She wished the floor would open up and eat her when she heard other classmates laughing softly.

"It wouldn't be so bad if she was a little cute."

"Yeah but she's so plain."

"Plain would be an upgrade"

The words played in Bella's head over and over until she could feel tears gathering behind her eyes. It wasn't the worst insult she'd ever gotten, and while she knew that she wasn't much to look at, it still sucked to hear people call her ugly. Blessedly the bell rang then, and she quickly gathered her things and was the first one out of the door.

She decided to keep her head down for the rest of the day, which hopefully, would pass without further incident. Robotic like, she made her way to her locker, putting in the combination and retrieving her lunch before heading to where she remembered the lunch room to be.

Darn, now where was she going to sit. Most of the tables were full, and out of the ones with empty seats, one was full of what looked like jocks, one was full of cheerleaders and one had the two girls who'd been "whispering" about her in her last class. All 3 options were bad. She'd decided to go see if she could find the library when she saw Alice making a beeline across the cafeteria, towards her.

"Hey, why are you just standing there silly?" Her voice, bright and cheerful as ever. "I saved you a seat."

"Sorry Alice. I didn't see you."

"Well come on, I'll introduce you to everybody." And just like that, Bella found herself being dragged by the tiny girl for the second time that day. When they reached a lunch table way in the back corner, she recognized a blonde girl and boy, that had each been in one of her morning classes, and Edward, whose copper colored hair and deep green eyes caused a funny feeling in her stomach. None of them sneered at her, thankfully, as Alice showed up with Bella in tow and pointed around the table introducing everyone.

"You've met my brother Edward this morning. This is his best friend Jasper Whitlock, and this is Rosalie Hale, my brother Emmett's girlfriend."

"Does he go here too?"

Alice shook her head, taking the empty seat next to Edward, leaving her to sit across the table by Rosalie, which made her nervous and fidgety. "No, he's older than us. He goes to the community college in PA. That's Port Angeles, have you been there? You should go with me some time. Chief Swan is your dad, right? Would he let you go with me?"

"Jesus Alice," Edward tossed a fry at his motormouth twin. "Breathe, why don't you?" She chuckled, glancing sheepishly at her new friend. "Sorry Bella. I'm just excited. I don't have many friends here."

Bella glanced at her, happy that Alice had implied that they were friends, but curious. "Why not?" Then she realized that the question was probably a bit nosey. "I'm sorry Alice, that was rude. It's just...you're so nice. I don't get it."

Alice smiled. "It's alright Bella. I don't mind. I was very sick when I was younger. I had really bad headaches and sometimes it made me see things. Turned out, I had a brain tumor."

Bella gasped, horrified. "Oh no! Are you okay? Now, I mean?" The other girl laughed dismissively. "Oh yeah, it was removed and it's gone now. But everyone still remembers that I used to see things, and even though it was because I was sick they think I'm...odd."

"But that's stupid!" Bella was slightly loud in her indignation, making Edward and Alice smile. "It is," Alice agreed. "But it doesn't bother me. I wouldn't want to be friends with people like that, so it worked out for me. And anyhow, I'm pretty much 100 percent fine now. I have a shunt in and I just have to go to a hospital if I get hit in the head or have bad headaches. It makes my brothers crazy over protective."

"Speaking of," Edward interrupted, that scowl that Bella found so hot back in place. "You need to eat or I'm telling Dad that you're skipping lunch again."

Alice glared right back at him, surprising Bella, who was sure that her face didn't even have that function. "How many times do I have to tell you that I hate cafeteria food. I'm not eating it."

"Then bring a lunch from home, stupid."

"I don't have time to make one, I already get up at 5 just to get ready on time."

"Then too bad, looks like you have to eat cafeteria food."

"Too bad I don't want it."

"Too bad I don't care."

Jasper and Rosalie rolled their eyes, used to the daily lunch time battle of wills. Quietly, Bella pulled two brown paper sacks from her bag and slid one across the table toward Alice, and blushed when everyone turned to stare at her.

"It's lasagna." she explained shyly. "I always bring extra." Alice beamed at her. "Thanks Bella! You saved me from the Food Nazi."

Jasper gained her attention, speaking for the first time. "Um, Bella?" The slow drawl in his voice surprised her a bit. "Why did you bring two lunches?"

She shrugged, uncomfortable when, again, everyone's attention was focused on her, even as Alice shoved a forkful of lasagna into her mouth with a moan and a "Damn, that's good."

"At my school in Phoenix, sometimes they used to knock my lunch on the floor, so I learned to bring two, just to be on the safe side."

"They bullied you?" Edward asked, an odd sort of angry look on his face, which threw Bella off. What was he mad for? But again, she shrugged. "Have you seen the way I look?" She whispered, diggin into her own food.

"Well, no offense, but your clothes are kind of ugly." Rosalie pointed out. Edward glared at her and she ignored it. "But that's no reason for people to treat you that way."

"Damn Rose, tell her how you really feel." Jasper snorted. "Don't hold back next time." But she ignored him too and continued to address the new girl. "Why do you dress like that anyway?"

Bella surprised them all by smiling a bit. Nobody had ever bothered to ask her that before. Everyone just assumed that she had really bad taste. "Well," she began. "When I lived with my mom, she never gave me money for anything, and she wouldn't buy me clothes, so I had to collect change I found around and get what I could at thrift stores."

Rosalie and Alice gaped at her, mouths open. "That fucking sucks!" Rosalie shrieked. "Oh my God, I would have died. Is that why you live with your dad now?"

"No, he came to get me because the bullying had gotten pretty bad." She answered, truthfully. "I don't even think he knows my mom never let me have any money."

"You should tell him." Alice interjected, tucking her long hair behind her ears. Bella thought that she looked like a little elf when she did this. "Maybe he would give you money and you can go shopping with us."

"Totally," Rose agreed. "Last year, Chief Swan chaperoned a field trip to Seattle and when we were eating lunch at the mall, Jessica Stanley squirted soy sauce all over my dress. It was my favorite one because my mom had worn it in her last photo shoot before she died. I was so mad I didn't even fight Jess, I just cried. Your dad got me up and wiped my face and bought me an outfit to wear home so I could try and get the stain out, but it was ruined. Two days later, her brought a dress just like it to my house. It was a 700 dollar dress, and I'm not even his kid."

Bella smiled, glad to have other people confirm that her father was a good person. She opened her mouth to speak, but was cut off when Alice squealed loudly. "Ohmigod! Edward, you have to try this!" She had opened the second Tupperware container in the bad and taken a bite out of the dessert inside. "This tiramisu is freaking awesome!"

She gave her brother a small bite and he moaned, causing Bella's face to flush a deep scarlet red. "Jesus," he breathed. "That tastes like...angel tears." He tried to get another forkful but Alice slapped his hand away. "Come on Allie, you know it's my favorite."

"Tough noogies!" Alice horded the dish close to her chest. "It's my favorite too and my friend gave it to me, so it's mine!" His answering pout was just so cute that Bella blushed again, and slid her own unopened dessert dish towards him. "I have plenty at home." She said, her head ducked low as she basically talked to the table. "You can have this one."

He smiled his thanks and barely got the lid off before he shoveled a huge chunk into his mouth. Jasper and Rosalie laughed at the blissful expression on the twins' faces. "Damn Bella," Jasper chortled. "It must be really damn good. Edward over there is a food snob and I dont think I've ever seen Alice this quiet. If I didn't think they'd attack, I'd try some."

Neither of the twins bothered to defend themselves. They were enjoying their food in their own little world with their eyes closed. Just then, the dismissal bell rang.

"Where did you get this Bella? I've never had any this good before." Edward's voice was low, sultry and ridiculously satisfied. It did thing to Bella's insides.

"Yeah Bella," Alice chimed in. "That was positively orgasmic."

Bella laughed at that, smiling and modestly pleased. "No ones ever enjoyed my cooking that much before."

Both Cullens stared at her. "You made this?" they sputtered, simultaneous in their shock. Edward stepped forward then and grabbed both of her hands in one of his. "You are the most perfect woman I've ever met in my entire existence." He blurted out. "Marry me."


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

**EPOV**

Damn it... Damn it damn it and double damn it. Of all the ways that I could have showed my appreciation like a normal person, I proposed. _Table for Douchebag, party of 1_? Yeah, that would be me. But in my defense, that tiramisu was so damn good that it made my mouth water and my blood run south for the winter, so I didn't really have much left available up north for thinking with. To find out that she made it herself...It just did things to me. Jesus, did it do things to me. All I could think of was what it would be like to come home every day to Bella, those big doe eyes behind glasses and a dish of fresh made tiramisu in her hands.

I'm an idiot. I couldn't do anything but smile at her like a doofus after I blurted it out. I waited but for the laughter, the comeback, the insult, the eye roll and scoff...but I forgot Bella was shy. She blushed a thousand shades of red and allowed Alice to lead her out of the cafeteria without another word. As soon as she was out of earshot Jasper, that dick, just about cried laughing, and Rosalie gaped at me.

So now, here I sit in my next class, Biology, mentally berating myself and calling myself every degrading name I could think of, and then who walks into class just before the bell rang? Yeah, Bella, the girl who will fuel my fantasies for a long time to come. She was standing in front of the class, looking for an empty seat. Little did she know, the only one was next to me. Score! When she spotted me I smile my irresistible smile, with a double dose of charm, and patted the seat next to me. She gave me a weary look and eased into the seat, making sure to keep her distance. Maybe she thinks I'm a pervert or something. Shit, maybe I am. Am I a perv for having a fetish for a sexy girl in glasses? Kanye shrug to that one, because if I AM a perv, I think I like it.

And don't get me wrong about the 'sexy girl' part. Her skirt and sweater may be 3 times too big, but I'll bet my left nut she's got a body under there. I mean...God wouldn't send me a girl straight out of my fantasies, only to have me play 'Name that shape' when it was sexy time would he? That would be just cruel. Besides, I dont want anybody to know my girl is sexy. My girl. Has a nice ring to it. Yup, it's decided. By the time Christmas break is over...she's going to be mine. It's almost Halloween and- oh shit!

"Hey Bella?" I whispered, hoping the teacher couldn't hear me. She looked over at me, looking a little startled, but inquisitive...which was good I think. "Soo...we throw a Halloween party every year.. my family, I mean. Would you like to come?" I could see the debate in her face. She cocked her head to the side, her glasses sliding cutely down her nose."I, uh... I don't see why not, as long as it's okay with my dad."

I couldn't help the huge grin that spread across my face. I knew Charlie wouldn't have a problem with it. He loves us. She chuckled a little, at my dorkishness, I'm sure. So I decided to go all the way and ask her to come _with me._ "Do you maybe wanna come...as my date?" I dug extra deep and gave her the most hopeful smile I could conjure up. Her eyes got huge and she got all stiff. "W-why would you want me to be your date?" I gave her the bug eyes right back. "Why wouldn't I?" But she turned away and didn't answer me. "Bella?" Still no answer. Damn. Foiled again, Batman.

I tried to talk to her the entire rest of the period. I smiled at her, nudged her, leaned close and whispered in her ear. Nothing. But I wasn't giving up. I'm Edward Cullen. If anybody can get a girl to talk, it's me. So I pulled the old tried and true note trick. I pulled a piece of paper on my notebook and drew a sad face with big watery eyes and a full on pout. I drew a heart underneath with a crack in it and wrote _'Why won't you talk to me?'_. Without even reading it, she flicked it back in my direction so hard that it flew right off of the table and onto the floor over by that scuzz bucket Jessica's foot.

What the fuck? "Well fine." I pouted loud enough so that I knew she heard me. "Don't talk to me then." And the fucked up part is that my feelings are hurt. I don't get it, what did I do?

**BPOV**

Oh God, Oh God, Oh God. Jesus, Mary and Joseph. Edward Cullen just freaking asked me out. But no. I'm not gonna fall for it this time. He must have thought I was an idiot. I've seen how he is around 's my first day, but I'm not stupid. I see how everybody knows him; how the guys always nudge and bump fists with him, and the girls always look at him and smile and wink. There's no way in the world that he would want me. I have on second hand glasses and clothes that are old, worn, and way too big. There's nothing about me that would attract someone so good looking. And he wants me? Yeah, okay.

He's no better than that jerk in Phoenix. He saw me doing what most girls can't help but do. He saw me notice him and used that to his advantage. Little did Edward know that someone had beaten him to it and now I know how this stupid little game was played.

First he would flirt with me, see how receptive I am. After all, I am the new girl who would do anything he asked because I wasn't used to a little attention from handsome boys. Then he'd take me out a few times, and then go in for the kill. Only this time there would be none. I was just a conquest to him, it seems.

Then why did he look so hurt? _Because it's just an act, stupid. _I had to stop being nice to people. Being so nice is how the last jerk got to me. And when I woke up in that hospital, I told myself that I wasn't going to trust anybody else that was out of my league simply because they smiled at me. I've seen _Carrie_. There's only a handful of reasons a popular boy will ask out the school freak, and none of them are good.

As if the Man Upstairs was sensing my inner turmoil, the bell rang just then, and I swept up my things to make a hasty escape. Unfortunately, my next class was gym. Since the gym was near the cafeteria, I'd told Alice she didn't have to walk me. Good lord, I hate PE classes. I'm not totally suckish at sports, but the whole class is an embarrassing experience. I hate changing in front of other girls and I'm usually picked last for team sports. And the thought off dodgeball and volleyball are enough to make me hurl. I'm usually get beamed in face and then everyone has a good laugh at how good Bella is at taking balls to the face. Yeah, gym is a real riot.

To make matters worse, I didn't have gym clothes yet, but thankfully, (note the sarcasm please) this morning Mrs. Cope gave me a pair of sweat pants and a shirt that they reserved for the, uh...artfully dressed girls who violate the dress code. She'd assured me that they were clean, but I hadn't complained. I'm used to wearing second hand clothing.

The cherry on top came when I entered the locker room and nearly ran smack into Jessica and that catty friend of hers. I kept my head down and edged around her to find clear space to change in. Of course, just like in Phoenix, the two girls made their way over as soon as I had my sweater off. Jessica's friend shoulder bumped me and sneered when I slammed into the lockers. I snatched up the t shirt and pulled it over my head, not even bothering to take off the long sleeved one underneath. I'd get hot, but I'd deal. Jess got in my face, looking pissed. "Stay away from Edward Cullen." She hissed before I could say a word. "You're new, so I'll let it slide this time, but I'm not going to tell you again."

"I'm just friends with his sister. That's all" I explain. I really just want her to get out of my face so I can change. I didn't want any drama at this school. I hadn't even had to deal with girlfriend drama in Phoenix. To be honest, that confused me for a second. If Edward was going to make a fool out of the new girl, wouldn't he have told his friends to play along?

"Then what's this?" Jessica held a note up too close for me to see. I backed up a saw a sad face with tears in his eyes with a broken heart that said '_why won't you talk to me?_'. So that's what Edward wrote. "I don't-"

"I don't know if it's that he thinks you give good head," Jessica interrupted again. "because there can't possibly be anything else attractive about you, I don't care. He doesn't want you for anything else. Edward's dating me, and he's only nice to you for laughs."

"I know." It came out weaker than I wanted, but she wasn't telling me anything new. For some reason though, she looked a bit surprised, but then she smirked. "Good." She nodded, her whole tone upbeat now. "Then we understand each other."

Thankfully, after the mini locker room drama, the rest of the class was simple and drama free. Coach Clapp was apparently on an endurance conditioning regimen so all we did was jog for half an hour. I made sure to stay out of tripping distance though, just to be on the safe side.

When we were dismissed, I didn't even bother to change into my street clothes. I just grabbed my things and went out front to wait for my dad. "Bella! Hey Bella!" She'd talked enough today for me to know who was behind me. Please don't let her brother be with her.

I turned to see Alice jogging to catch up with me. Edward bypassed the both of us, a look I couldn't describe on his face. "Hey Bella is your dad coming?" I nodded. "Cool, I was wondering, since it's Friday and all, if you wanted to come and spend the night with me." She had that cute hopeful look on her face, just like her brother. I was hopeless against hers too. "Um, I'm not sure Alice. I have to ask my dad."

My mind worked rapidly, trying to think of a way to say no without hurting her feelings. It wasn't that I didn't want to go. Alice was the first person to ever be nice to me (without foreseeable ulterior motives) and I've never been invited to sleep over with a friend before. The prospect excited me more than it probably should, to be honest, but I don't want to give her brother the chance to try anymore of his tricks on me.

Wouldn't you know it though, my dad chooses that moment to pull up in his cruiser and wave at me. Alice spotted him and squealed- no really, she squealed- and marched over to his window, lugging me around with her. "Hi Chief!" she greeted him. My dad, the traitor, smiled warmly at her. "Hi there Alice." Hmm, I would ask how they knew each other later.

You've met my daughter, I see."

"I sure did. Ran into her out front before school. I'm really glad she's here, she's awesome!"

I could feel my face warm as she said this. No one's ever called me awesome before. My dad's face lit up like a Christmas tree. "Well now, I'm glad to hear it. The two of you need good friends."

"Oh we're going to be great friends!" Alice hugged my arm. "I can see it! And speaking of...well I've never really had a girlfriend before, and so I was kind of hoping Bella could have a sleepover with me? Please, please, please Charlie?" She flashed those huge doe eyes at my father, and I watched, horribly amused, as he grinned and stuttered his agreement. Glad to know I wasn't the only Swan susceptible to Cullen charms.

Alice practically vibrated from her excitement, and clapped her hands together happily. "Yay! We're going to have so much fun. We're going to redo Bella's wardrobe." she added matter-of-factly.

"What?" I blurted. I don't remember a mention of a shopping trip. How am I supposed to pay for that? "Alice-"

"Bella, you can't keep wearing clothes from Goodwill."

I choked. "Alice-"

"Your clothes are from Goodwill?" Dad interrupted, looking up and down at my outfit for the first time. His face was turning purple. That couldn't possibly be healthy. "Uh-um...uh." I stuttered.

"Never mind. That's fine Alice." He dismissed the topic suddenly. "I'll send her with some money. Are you going to pick her up or should I drop her off?" I stopped listening after that and made my way to the passenger side of the cruiser. He agreed to give me money...just like that. No begging, no pleading or rationalizing or explaining... Huh.

Dazed, I waved goodbye to Alice as we pulled off. It was silent all of 3 minutes before- "Mind me as asking why all of your clothes are from the goodwill? Is this some kind of 'vintage' thing the kids are doing now or...what?"

I took a long slow breath, wary of how this conversation could go. He sounded upset, like he already knew the answer. "She never bought me clothes or gave me money." I admitted. Let's get this over with.

"But Bella..." He sounded confused. "Why didn't you use the money I sent you?"

Now I was confused. "What money?"

"I sent you a check every month."

The silence was deafening. I'd never received any kind of checks in the mail. I don't think it needed to be explained though. We both knew why. "I always wondered," he said. "why the money was never taken out of my account. Guess its a good thing I did this...came in handy." He felt around blindly in the console for something until he showed me an envelope with my name on it.

Inside, there was a debit card in my name, a picture of a younger version of my dad holding me as a baby on the front. I stared at it. "Um, if you don't like the picture, we can get you another one." he said, uneasy when I didn't tear my eyes away from the image. I traced our faces with my fingers. There were tears in my eyes when I reached over and hugged him awkwardly around the neck. "Thanks Dad."

He grinned at me, then quickly turned his attention back to the road. "You're welcome kiddo."

_AN: So next up a little bit of Charlie POV and the sleepover! Edward might need a bit of 'private time' with Bella sleeping right next door all night. Review please! Fetishward likes reviews  
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	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

**CPOV**

I'd never before wanted to hurt a woman, but I sure could strangle my ex-wife. What the hell was she doing with the child support I was sending her? Glad I'd had the sense to send half in Bella's name, otherwise I have a feeling Renee would have kept it all, not that she didn't try to cash Bella's checks, I'm sure.

The kid didn't have a cell phone. She didn't have books or fashionable clothes or anything else that kids her age have. Hell, she didn't even have a nice room, or a bed for that matter. I don't make an athlete's salary at the Forks Police Department, but I make enough to clothe my damn kid.

Renee is so damn selfish. Always is and always has been. She'd thrown such a damn fit when I resigned from the FBI. She didn't care that I'd been injured, shot in the back on my shoulder by friendly fire when we were making a huge bust. I'd kept pushing, kept doing my job and saved a couple of kids in the process. I'd been awarded a medal and given a hefty bonus for the injury, since it was a member of my own team who'd plugged me. Personally I think it was hush money. Friendly fire is embarrassing.

The things I'd seen on that mission scared the hell out of me. I didn't understand how anyone could do such fucked up things to some of the cutest kids I'd ever seen in my life. And the youngest two...they'd been so scared. I personally over saw their relocation after they had been released from the hospital and thoroughly examined by child psychologists.

Afterwards, all I could think about was my baby girl at home and how I would cope if anything were to ever happen to her. So I debriefed, filled out my report and turned it in to my supervisor, along with my resignation. I went home, packed up my wife and kid and moved us all to Forks, a place I saw as reasonably safe, and away from big time crime, and took a job in the force.

My wife lost her natural mind. I thought her head was going to spin all the way around. She wanted to know how I would 'be so fucking stupid to quit such a glamorous job.' Seriously, she'd said "glamorous". We fought, I went to work and when I came home, she and my baby were long gone.

"Hey, where are we going?" Bella's voice disrupted my dark memories. She looked so much like me in that moment that I grinned. "We're going to hit up Walmart. You need some things."

"You don't have to-"

"I want to." I corrected. "You need things, I have money, so I'm going to get you things. Simple." She still looked uncomfortable. Damn that mother of hers. For all the care and love that she'd shown the kid, she could have stayed with me and been way better off. The thought of all the birthdays and Christmases I got to spend with other kids and not her made me sad, but I did my best to put it out of my mind. She has me now and we'll be alright.

Bella didn't say another word the rest of the ride. She looked out of the window, still seeming uncomfortable. Tough. Kid's gonna have to get used to accepting gifts.

Immediately I grabbed a cart and got down to business. We're going to make this as quick an painless as possible. I hate shopping. Apparently, Bella is like me in this aspect. Getting her to pick out anything is like pulling teeth with dental floss.

When she did finally pick out a bed set, I balked. "Bells, that thing is hideous." She shrugged at me and replied. "But it's only 30."

I eyed her. "I didn't give you a limit." I explained. "Pick out whatever you like, just not this damn thing." I took the vomit colored old lady blanket from her and put it back on the shelf. She giggled and looked again. When she spotted the silver one on the very top shelf, her eyes widened, and her hand twitched, but then she looked away. It was 80 dollars.

"How about this one?" I reached over her head for it. She stared, and then nodded very slowly. "Good." I shoved it in the basked and we continued on to the back of the store toward electronics. I'll admit, I'm edgy about her picking out a cell phone. I want her to have one but I know she'll fight me on such an "expensive" purchase.

We walked up the the counter and I cleared my throat to get the clerks attention. "Good evening." He was very cheerful about it. "What can I help you with?"

"Yeah," I answered him, but looked at Bella to gauge her reaction. "I want to add my daughter to my plan." Sure enough, her eyes got big. The clerk nodded, unfazed, and smiled. "Any particular kind of phone?" he asked. I shrugged. "Whatever she wants."

"Well then," he turned to her. "What kind of phone do you want?" Bella didn't answer, still looking 7 kinds of shocked, So I helped them both out. "What if you give her the rundown on all of them and then let her decide?"

The clerk, whose name, I saw, was Pete, nodded. "Alright then." And I watched as he led Bella in a circle around the counter, explaining the different phones to her. She just about drooled on herself and almost pressed her nose to the glass when he got to the high tech ones. I chuckled. "What about an iPhone Bells?" I pointed to the one she was drooling over.

"C-Can I?" She whispered, looking both hopeful and unsure. I nodded to Pete who reached under the counter to get a new one. Bella never took her eyes off of it as Pete opened the box and showed her how to work the basic features before he took my information and added her phone to my plan. She may be shy, but she's a teenager, so just to be sure, everything's unlimited.

"All done." Pete smiled and handed Bella the phone. She eyed it, and then threw herself at me so fast I didn't see her coming, wrapping her arms around me and tucking her head under my chin. "Thank you Daddy."

I smiled and patter her hair. She'd never called me Daddy before. "You're welcome sweetheart."

"Nice kid you got there." Pete commented. I agreed.

An hour or so later, we pulled into the driveway. Bella had her head ducked, still figuring out her phone and chatting happily a mile a minute about every new feature that she found, so she didn't see her other gift sitting in the driveway.

I knew she was going to have a fit, but after what happened in Phoenix, a vehicle is a must. It was a shiny red 1957 pick up truck. I bought the thing from Harry Clearwater, whose wife was tired of it sitting in their garage, holding up tools and other such crap. When I bought it, it was brown red and orange from all the rust. Billy Black's kid offered to paint the thing for free because he needed the practice. I agreed. Initially, I only bought it to help out the Clearwaters. Harry's getting sick and paying his medical bills is becoming quite a stretch. I originally offered him three grand for it, buy he wouldn't accept anything over five hundred. When I tried to give the rest to his wife, she'd told me that she couldn't accept it either, so I sent it directly to the hospital towards Harry's bills.

I tried to tell all of this to Bella, (leaving out the 2500 I gave them indirectly), but she kept saying "Oh my God, you bought me a car!". She didn't care that I it for practically nothing or that I wouldn't be able to teach her how to drive often because of my schedule. She still cried. I shit you not. She cried.

After that debacle, we took her bed set upstairs to her room, and then I waited for her to come back down so that I could drop her off at the Cullen's Place.

**BPOV**

I'm really going to like it here. I've been here two days and I have my own room with a bed, dresser and desk. I have a cell phone and I have a car! Well, a truck. I still can't believe my dad bought me a truck, which he was going to begin teaching me to drive on my way to the Cullen's house.

Ugh, the Cullens. I really do want to go, but I'm nervous about it. I don't want Edward to try anything...or maybe I do. Should I really even go? Maybe I should call Alice and tell her I don't feel good. No, that wont work. She'll be so disappointed and I don't want to lie to her. Maybe I should ask Dad what he thinks. He seemed to know Alice, maybe he knows Edward too.

"Hey, Dad?" I found him sitting in his Dad-chair in the living room, watching a highlight reel from one of the games. "What's up kiddo?"

Okay, here goes. "Before I head over, I just wanted to ask you...I mean, I want to be sure if-...if I can trust Alice and Edward."

Charlie studied me for a moment while he blindly used the remote to click the television off. "Are you worried that they're just pretending to be nice to you?"

I nodded.

"Bells. I've known that family since I first moved here. Alice is a really sweet kid. She's been through a lot, but she doesn't have a duplicitous bone in her body. You don't have anything to worry about."

I sighed, still not feeling satisfied with his answer. "What about Edward?" I notice he hadn't mentioned the other twin. And if he was truly honest in his intentions when he asked me out, this school can be a totally new experience for me. Maybe even a pleasant one.

Dad gave me that look again, like he was examining me. "What's this really about Bella? Did Edward say something to you?"

Busted! I blushed, embarrassed to tell my dad why I was asking about Edward. After I was silent for a while, he sighed and got up. "You know I used to be in the FBI right?"

I stared and shook my head. This was news to me. Dad motioned me over near him and looked haunted as he began to tell me a story. "Well, when your mother was about 7 months pregnant with you, we got this case. Awful stuff. Drug dealers who were kinda big in Seattle were looking to get into human trafficking, so they started swiping kids from an orphanage. Two, that we knew of for sure." Oh, God.

"My team was called in to find them and where they were keeping the children. It took almost 3 months to locate them. When we caught up to them, it was awful. They were in a rundown shack with the windows boarded up. There were drugs everywhere and we caught the dealers trying to run out back carrying 4 year old kid. He wasn't the one we were looking for. I found the other two in a closet that was behind a dresser. When I opened the door...this little boy was standing in front of this tiny little girl, protecting her. They were only a year old Bells. They were both frail and filthy and they had track marks on their arms from where drugs were used to keep them quiet.

"While they were in the hospital, you, your mother and I were staying in a hotel in Seattle. I was looking for a place for us, wanting you out of the big city, visiting the kids every day and looking for a family to adopt them. I found a nice couple here, in Forks, who said adopting three kids wouldn't be an issue. They couldn't have children of their own and didn't mind that they may have problems from their kidnappings. I bought a house nearby. I figured I could keep an eye on them and keep you and your mother safe as well."

He reached up onto the mantle and handed me a picture I hadn't noticed yet. I accepted it with shaking hands and realized that I was crying. There stood my dad, in all black and a bullet proof vest emblazoned with the letters FBI. He held two small toddlers and a tiny baby me in his arms with a third toddler hanging off his hip. I smiled through my tears. It was a cute picture, he looked like a baby jungle gym. Something a bout the smallest toddlers looked familiar to me. The little boy had dark red hair and green eyes, the little girl had back hair and green eyes. I could make an educated guess about the bigger child, but I knew... I knew for sure who the others were.

Jesus. My dad had saved Edward and Alice.

"I've watched them grow up Bella. I took you with me on visits until your mother took you away. I've spent Birthdays and holidays and Sunday dinners with them since I delivered them to Esme and Carlisle. The only thing that could have made that better was you with us. I babysat them when they're parents were working late, I've chaperoned field trips, listened to their frustrations with they way things are going at school. They're good kids Bella, all of them. And if you're interested in Edward-" I gasped, and he smirked at my reaction. "-then I think you should give him a chance. I'd actually prefer him to any other boy in Forks. Don't worry honey." and he kissed my forehead. "It won't be like last time."

E&B E&B E&B

I was still reeling from our conversation as Dad drove us to the Cullens' place, having postponed the driving lesson since it was getting dark. It seemed that the twins and I had some things in common. My dad had saved us all from a crappy past, though theirs was much more horrid than mine.

Finally we pulled up to a huge contemporary house with glass walls. Damn. I couldn't stop gaping at it. My dad laughed at my reaction. "Looks out of place in Forks, doesn't it?" I nodded. But it was the most gorgeous house I'd ever seen. I immediately felt...extremely ordinary. Like my old clothes would contaminate the modern beauty of this place.

Before either my dad or I could knock, the door swung open and revealed a happy smiling Alice. She pulled me inside immediately, and my dad laughed at us. "Easy Alice. I think she'll need her arms in the future."

"Hi Chief!" She hugged him tightly. "You're staying for dinner aren't you?"

"Not today Kid. I've got an early morning date with a boat and some fish."

I could practically hear Alice's pout as she led us through the house. I've never seen such a thing. It was all neutral colors and very glamorous and expensive looking. I soon found myself in a dining room with 3 more Cullens.

"Look who's here!" Alice was back to bouncing. "This is my new friend Bella. Bella, this is my mom, Esme, my dad Carlisle, and my brother Emmett."

I smiled shyly, feeling slightly anxious. There had to be something in the water around this place because there wasn't a plain or pretty one among them. 5 for 5, they're all ridiculously good looking. Emmett was huge, tall and bulky with curly brown hair and dimples. Esme had pretty brown hair and hazel eyes, and Carlisle was a porcelain looking blonde with the bluest eyes I've ever seen. They all smiled at me. Esme rose out of her seat and pulled me into a hug. "Hello Bella. It's so good to finally meet you! Your father always talks about you and Alice has been excited since she came home from school. Welcome."

"Thank you Mrs. Cullen. You have a really beautiful home."

She beamed at me. "Thank you sweetheart. And please, call me Esme."

Everyone laughed. "I think you just became her favorite person." Charlie teased. "Mom's an interior decorator." Emmett explained. "And she says we never appreciate her hard work. Personally I don't see how hard it is to move couches around."

Esme smacked him in the back of the head and he laughed. "Just kidding Ma. And it's nice to meet you Bella. I'll be down in the basement playing Xbox if you guys want to join."

"I should be going also." Carlisle rose and kissed Esme on the forehead and then Alice. "Sorry I couldn't be here longer Bella, but I've got the night shift. It's very nice to meet you. Charlie, I'll see you on Sunday?"

"Actually," Dad moved to leave also. "I'll walk out with you Carlisle." He said goodbye to Esme and Alice. telling them to tell Edward that he said 'hello', kissed my head, told me to be good, and was gone.

"Well girls." Esme smiled at us. "Dinner is a little later than usual tonight. I'll call you down when it's ready. Bella, have you eaten yet?"

"No, ma'am."

"Do you like meatloaf?"

"Yes ma'am."

"So polite, but you don't have to call me ma'am, Bella. I'm going to check on dinner, so you two have fun."

Thankfully, the introductions were quick and pleasant, only slightly awkward on my part. I did notice, however, that Edward was missing. Was he even here? Did I even want him to be here?" Ha, I knew the answer to that. Of course I wanted him to be here. Not only because I want to apologize to him, but because I just...wanted to make sure he didn't hate me after that little incident in Bio.

"Hey Alice?" Crap. My voice sounded tentative, even to me. Sure enough, she seemed to know something was up. "Hold on, let's get in my room first Bella." When she opened the door, I smiled at just how much it just screamed 'Alice'. It was bright, bubbly and colorful, everything that she is. And in true Alice fashion, she pulled me over to her bed and grinned at me.

"Spill." She demanded. "Has this got anything to do with what happened in Biology?"

"What? How did you-"

"Edward asked me if you hated him."

Hell, now I really felt bad. "I don't hate him Alice. I just..."

"You're scared of him? Well not of _him_ per se, but that he's just playing around with the new girl?"

I nodded, honestly a bit ashamed now that I knew about their past. "Bella, my brother's not like that." She said quietly. "_I'm_ not like that."

"I know Alice, and I trust you. I do. It's just that anytime a girl has been nice to me, it's been because of some mean joke. And the only time a guy acted like he liked me..it didn't go very well." She was quiet still, which kind of unnerved me. "Uh...is he here? I kind of want to apologize to him and see if he maybe wants to still...uh..."

"Oh Bella!" All at once, Alice was a happy flurry of activity. I found myself walking alongside her, trying to keep up with her brisk pace as she chattered excitedly. "Bella, you don't understand. This is so awesome! He's talked about you all day at school and now he's moping in his room because he thinks you don't like him. He's never liked anyone before and you guys are gonna make such a cute couple!"

"Alice, breathe!" I laughed nervously. Then she knocked on a door, pushed me in front of it, and left me there. "Go away Alice." Edwards voice floated through the door and I found myself wanting to press my ear against the wood. Hell.

"It's...uh..Bella."

The door was open almost before I shut my mouth. And then it fell open.

"Holy Mary, mother of baby Jesus." I whispered before I could stop myself. Edward Cullen was a sight to behold in his basketball shorts and a wifebeater. He smirked at me, but I just stood there, wholly distracted until he asked "Did you need something?"

I blushed. "Yes, uh. C-can I talk to you?" He stared at me for a while, and when he stepped back, I was sure he was going to close the door in my face. Instead he motioned for me to enter. I squeezed by him- dear God his body was hard- and looked around, not sure how to proceed. His room was decidedly masculine. Deep tones of blue and brown with sports and music things scattered about. There was a couch against one wall, and it seemed safer to sit there than anywhere else.

He came to stand at the edge of his huge bed. I got lost in him again until a hand waved in front of my face. "Bella?"

"I'm sorry." I sputtered. "I got distracted by your arms."

"My arms?" He smirked at me again, and I nearly melted right there on his couch. "They're all muscly" I said intelligently. He laughed at me then, and I think he even flexed. I slammed my eyes shut before I did something embarrassing. "So what did you want to talk about Bella?"

"Right.. Um." I tried to look at him without getting distracted by his body. "I want to apologize about the way I treated you in biology. I was excited when you asked me out because I think I really like you, but I don't understand why you would like me that way so I thought it was all some awful joke and then Jessica told me that she was your girlfriend and that you were trying to use me. But then I talked to my dad and he told me that you and Alice are good people and oh, Lord, I've caught your sister's word diarrhea."

He laughed again, and I turned away, sure he thinks I'm an idiot. And then he was kneeling before me, his hand on my knees as he grinned. Oh boy. My gulp was audible to both od us. "So." He began. "Let me get this straight. You think you like me but you thought I was just trying to make fun of you. And Jessica told you that she and I were dating?"

I nodded, but I was barely holding on to the conversation. Did he know that he was stroking my knee?

"Bella." His voice was deep now. All low and very sexy. "Jessica Stanley is very gross." Huh? If you're confused, raise you hand. "I'm not dating her. I wouldn't go out with her if she was the last girl on Earth and she paid me. She likes me but I have never EVER liked her."

Oh. "Also, I was being 100% honorable in my intentions as far as asking you out. I like you Bella. A lot."

Oh...OH. I was so very tempted to pinch myself. Edward, who is quite possibly the best looking male I have ever laid eyes on, like me! ME! This has got to be a dream right?

"So what made you change your mind and apologize?"

"Um, my dad. I'm sorry, I know it's personal, but he told me how he met you guys, but he also told me that I should give you a chance."

"Good." he whispered, his eyes bright as he leaned towards me. God, they're a pretty shade of green. "And I don't mind you knowing about my past if it helps you trust me."

He leaned closer still, tilting his head just the slightest bit. "I'm sorry Bella." he groaned. "But I've just got to-"

And then his lips were on mine. Softly at first, gentle and warm. I froze, not really knowing what to do. Edward Cullen was kissing me! Oh hell, where do my hands go? Where do I put my head? How do I move my lips?

"Bella." Edward pulled away the slightest bit. "Stop thinking so hard. Just do." And then those wonderful lips were back on mine, teasing, coaxing until I found myself mimicking his actions, kissing him back.

"Fuck." he groaned into my mouth. I found the cuss word oddly sexy, which made it Hell to pull away. "Is something wrong?" I wondered.

"No." he sat next to me and leaned his forehead against mine. I savored the feeling, feeling like a couple in a romantic movie that everyone else swooned over."But, I'm sorry I just kissed you like that. I couldn't help myself."

That made me feel just a little sexy. "I liked it." I assured him. And I did. I liked it a lot. So much so that I wanted to do it again. A bit empowered, I braced my hand on his shoulder and went for seconds.

I had barely touch my lips to his when to door to his room burst open. I tried to move to the other side of the couch but couldn't make my body go.

"Well now!" Alice's grin was indescribable. "Looks like you two are getting quite cozy."

"I-uh-we" I stammered.

"Damn it, you have the worst timing ever."

She laughed at her brother. "Mom wanted me to tell you that it's dinner time. Come on Bella, let's give Casanova here a minute alone."

Out of his embrace and on the other side of his closed door, clarity doused me like a bucket of could water. "You two kissed." Alice stated, leading me don the stairs. "So are you going to date my brother?" Her tone was soft and I couldn't tell how she felt about the situation.

"...If he asks me." I admitted.

"Good."

**A/N:**

**Reviews are better than kisses from Fetishward! Sorry about the long wait, I had midterms, family issues AND I'm working on starting my own business, so I was a bit overwhelmed. **


	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4:**

**EPOV**

_I had died and gone to Heaven. There was no other explanation for it. The feel of her lips on mine and her soft full breasts pressed against my chest was just...exquisite. I trailed kisses from her lips to her ear, where I paused to suck on her earlobe. Bella gasped as she arched into me. I reveled in the sound, wanted to bathe in it, soak in it, marinate in it._

_"Edward" she moaned. Oh hell yes, she's going to do that again. Her head tipped as soon as my lips touched her neck and she mewled for me. Fuck. "Do you like that baby?" I asked her, my voice low and feeling like gravel in my throat."Y-yes." She breathed. I palmed her ass and lifted her onto my lap so she was straddling me, my lips never leaving her neck, marking her for the world to see as mine. _

_When I was satisfied that there would be a nice dark love tattoo on her neck, I went back to kissing those luscious lips of hers. Her tongue battled mine eagerly. My hands trailed up, underneath her shits, stopping just beneath where I wanted them most. I held them there, waiting for any kind of signal that it was okay to touch her tits._

_She leaned back and looked at me through heavy lids, smiling sexily. Without a word said, she slowly unbuttoned her top. My mouth watered as she let the shirt fall from her shoulders. "So Sexy." I whispered reverently. Her breasts were perfect. Full, soft globes that easily filled my hands as I palmed them._

_Her eyes closed, kiss-swollen lips forming a perfect 'o' as she let out a slow breath. I very badly wanted to taste them, to tease her nipples with my tongue and teeth. I reached behind her and unhooked her bra. As I reached to slide the straps from her shoulders, she spoke.  
><em>

_"Edward! Wake your lazy ass up!"_

Wha?

"Wake up! We have to be in Seattle before the malls open!"

EB EB EB EB EB EB EB EB EB EB EB EB EB EB EB

I glared at Alice over the roof of the car as I unlocked it to let she and Bella in. Not only had Hurricane Alice waken me up at the ass crack of dawn to go shopping, but she had gotten me up 20 minutes before it was time to hit the road, so I hadn't even had enough time for some Me Time in my shower. Now I was tense and grouchy.

The brat rolled her eyes at me. "Bella, you sit up front with Edward, he's got his panties in a bunch this morning."

"I told you you should have gotten him up earlier." Bella told her. "I know I have to get up earlier so I have time to get functional."

I winked at her as I pulled the car out onto the road. "See, Bella gets it."

In the rear view mirror, Alice rolled her eyes at me again. She stretched out across the back seat and was asleep before we got to the gas station. Pitiful, we weren't even out of Forks yet, and she was comfortably stretched out after she'd gotten every one else up before Jesus and the saints.

I stuck the gas pump in its designated slot, swiped my gas card and went inside to get some hot chocolate and an energy drink. I chugged half of the Monster and opened the door to hand Bella the hot chocolate. She smiled at me, so pretty as she thanked me that I couldn't help tugging her out of the car and to my chest. Before she could say a word my lips were on hers, kissing her with all my pent up aggression turned to passion. When I finally heard the nozzle click, I let her broke away from her, then planted one, two, three more quick kisses on her mouth. She just stared, wide eyed and astonished, at me. "Good morning Bella." I grinned cheekily, feeling much better. "G-good morning Edward." She's so damn cute, my sexy shy nerd.

As I pulled back onto the road, I glanced over at her in the dim light that shone on us from the dash panel. She gazed out of her window, looking wistful and thoughtful. I wanted to lick the side of her neck.

For sure, that means something is wrong with me right? I managed to refrain from assaulting her with my tongue, and instead asked her "Something on your mind?"

She glanced over, and even in the dark, I could tell that her face was red. For a long while, Bella didn't say a word, and I thought she wasn't going to answer me.

"You kissed me last night." She blurted out. "And again this morning."

I raised an eyebrow at her, a technique that I'd practiced for hours in the mirror when I was a kid, after seeing The Rock do it. "Why yes," I said. "Yes, I did."

"What does that mean exactly?"

"Well, it means that I like you, a lot. It means that I find you extremely attractive and that I want to get to know you better. I was hoping that it means you'll go out with me. "

I gave her the eyebrow again and tried to gauge her reaction. "Go-go out with you?" She stammered, casting a nervous glance back to Alice, who was still passed out.

"Yes, go out with me. This is a three day weekend, so we have today, tomorrow and Monday to get to know each other a little better. Maybe Tuesday you can decide whether or not you want to try dating. You know...officially."

"Like, be your girlfriend."

"Yes."

Please, say yes, please say yes. I don't care what it takes, I NEED Bella to be mine. She's everything I have ever fantasized about in a girlfriend from her demeanor, to the hair, those glasses...shit.

"Okay." She said with a small, shy smile. Okay? She said okay? Fuck yeah! I'm going to give her the best weekend of her life.

We talked the rest of the way to Seattle as Alice snored softly in the backseat. I learned that her favorite color is green, she loves all type of music, she loves fashion, even thought she couldn't yet dress as she preferred, and that she had never had a boyfriend or been on a date before.

"Like never?" I asked dumbly, completely astounded. How could there not have been one guy to look past those large glasses and see how beautiful she is?

"Never." She affirmed. "Boys don't want a girl with huge glasses and baggy clothes, Edward. They want girls like Jessica; skinny girls who dress well and don't have an awkward lack of decent social skills. Or even, girls like Angela, cute girls with cute stylish glasses, not total nerds with goodwill clothes and coke bottle glasses.

Her tone and expression were both so bitter and hurt. But would it be total Doucheward-like of me to say that I'm glad no one else looked at her like I did? If they're too fucking stupid to see the body and face that hid behind those clothes and glasses, then all the better for me. I won't have to kick anyone's ass for trying to take her away from me.

We pulled into the parking lot of the mall, and I walked around to Bella's side and helped her out. "Hey," I said softly. "I do. I want you. I see you Isabella, if no one else does, and what I see is beautiful and sexy."

She blushed for me as I held her hips. God, they felt incredible, rounded and soft. I ran my hands upwards, feeling a noticeably smaller waist. As I pulled her to me, i couldn't help but to imaging her without these baggy clothes. I was damn well going to enjoy this shopping trip and the opportunity to see her in something more form fitting.

All of a sudden, the car door hit me in the back as Alice climbed out. "You could have woken me up." She bitched. I rolled my eyes at her. "We just got here Alice."

"Then let's go!" She grabbed her purse, slammed my car door, and stalked off.

A couple hours later, after making Alice's grouchy ass drink a huge coffee, I found myself trailing behind she and Bella. The girl wasn't kidding when she said she was into fashion. She knew what she liked and quickly mixed and matched pieces together before she toted the pile into the dressing room. Thank Baby Jesus that it took her about 15 minutes to grab a bunch of things she liked in her size, and maybe another 20 to try them all on in the dressing room. Alice needed to take notes, as it freaking took her just an hour to pick out things things in one store.

Bella wasn't, however, letting Alice into the dressing room with her, and it was pissing the little She-Devil off. She wouldn't stop whining. Finally, after the third store, I told her to take her ass off to do her own shopping while I kept an eye on Bella, because that shit was annoying. Before she left though, I warned her to text me every hour and to stay out of trouble. "Aye Aye Dad!" She saluted me with an eye roll, and then, blessedly, went away.

I could hear Bella's sigh of relief from the other side of the door. "If you don't mind me asking," I called to her. "Why don't you want her to help you?" She opened the door and stepped out, looking all sheepish as she half-whispered. "Because. It's my first time picking out my own clothes. I don't really want anybody else's opinions or input swaying my decisions."

"Understandable." I nodded, and carried her clothes to the register for her, partially to be polite, but mostly because they were obscuring part of her face from me. She paid for her things and retrieved her bags, which I dutifully carried for her. She was so damn cute when she blushed that I bent down and kissed her, right there at the counter.

**BPOV**

"This is all you're going to get Bella?"

I was sitting in the food court with Edward, staring, aghast at the number of bags that surrounded our feet, when Alice showed up, aghast for a totally different reason.

"What do you mean is this all I'm getting? I've got a bunch of clothes, and even jewelry. " I'd already spent close to a thousand dollars before I realized it, and that's with everything being on sale. And these weren't even all of the bags! "Alice, we had to make 2 trips to go put all of the bags in the car! I'm not spending any more."

"But Bella, you haven't even come close to the budget Charlie gave you for this shopping trip, and besides, you need shoes."

"You're awfully whiny today Alice." I sighed. "How about this, you continue shopping, Edward can eat or go do something not girly and I'll go get some shoes, and we'll meet at the car when we're done."

"Fine." Within seconds, she was off again, not even bothering to validate a meeting time. I groaned, feeling a headache coming on. Edward reached for my hand, and I jumped, forgetting he was even there.

"Come on, Alice will call when she's ready. Let's get some food."

A rush of tingling warmth spread from where our finger intertwined. I nodded, barely paying attention to anything but how our fingers fit together. He insisted that Alice would be a while, so after we ate, we took an hour to just sit down and rest. I was getting more and more comfortable around him now, and was able to be myself, even thought I still worried about saying something too stupid.

Afterwards, we cruised the mall hand in hand, Edward claiming that he didn't want to go off on his own, but stay with me, until we came upon a small shoe store. Jesus, Mary and Joseph, I must be in Heaven. I had never seen heels like these in the window before, and never owned heels period, but I knew right then that I would own lots of pairs.

For the first time, I felt indecisive about what to buy. They were just all so damn pretty! There were heels and flats with spikes, some with glitter, some plain, some colorful, some with crystals, but all unique and different from anything I'd seen people wearing before. Edward laughed at me. "I think you're drooling, Babe."

I blushed, both at the teasing and the endearment. He grinned at me and pulled me into the store. Maybe I should call Charlie before I spend anymore.

"Hi Honey," He picked up on the second ring. "Is everything okay?"

"Everything's great Dad. I'm having a lot of fun, even Alice is a bit of a Shopping Nazi. I just called to see how much is okay to spend."

"Knowing you, you probably haven't even put a dent in that money. It's yours Bells, you can spend it all if you want, as long as you understand that this kind of shopping isn't going to be a regular occurrence."

"I know Dad, but I'm feeling bad already for spending so mu-"

"Bella, it's your money. I'm never going to ask you for it or check how much you've spent. just be responsible, don't overdraft, and have fun."

"Okay Daddy."

Until now, I've just been buying things that were on sale, but as I looked around me, I was honestly thinking to Hell with a sale. I wanted these shoes.

"You're not going to be in Seattle often Bella. Get what you want."

After I hung up with my dad, I got excited and started picking out fabulous and exotic looking shoes, just imagining the spice they would add to my outfits. Where the hell do I start? I should probably try some on first, so with that in mind, I headed over to the sales girl to ask for help. She gave me a snide look as she eyed me up and down, taking in my long beige dress, threadbare sweater and Keds before she rolled her eyes at me. I froze in my tracks before I had even fully approached her. "Dress Barn is on the other end of the mall." She sneered.

I stared, taken aback. This is exactly why I was worried to come out in public with Edward. It's bad enough that people judge me poorly, but to do it in front of him, and draw attention to how sloppy I looked next to him. Suddenly I was cold. "Let's just go." I muttered, embarrassed.

"Uh uh." He snapped and pulled me deeper into the store where I guy with curly hair and eyeliner was standing behind the counter.

"Is the manager in?"

"That's me, Honey." That man answered in an effeminate voice, smiling sweetly at the two of us. "How can I help you?"

"My girlfriend needs some shoes, can you help her? The girl up front was being extremely rude." I could feel my cheeks heating up upon hearing the title, but I said nothing, unsure of what to do.

"Sure thing. Janet, go take your lunch break!" The manager, Timothy, his name tag said, glared at the girl. She sucked her teeth and stomped out, muttering under her breath.

"I'm sorry about her." Timothy's tone was cheery and pleasant. "I don't allow my employees being rude to my customers. How can I help you sweetheart?"

I started, realizing he was talking to me. "Um...uh, there's a couple pair I wanted to try on. In a 7, please."

"Not a problem, which ones?"

When I pointed out 5 or 6 pair, he grinned. "Oh, I'm going to like you..."

"Bella." Edward supplied when I failed to realize the man was waiting for my name. Oops.

"I'm going to like you Bella. Be right back."

I sat down on the bench next to Edward as Timothy ducked into the back room. "Thank you." I whispered, grateful that he had stood up for me, and still embarrassed that I hadn't done so on my own. "No problem Baby." I took that moment to stare at his profile and admire chiseled cut of his jaw. The elegant angle to his nose and the sort of sexy messiness to his copper colored locks. He was so freaking out of my league it was way past funny.

Timothy re-emerged with a stack of boxes in his arm so tall that all I could see of him was his black curls. I eagerly accepted the boxes and tried the shoes on happily. "I freaking love these!" I gushed, lifting up my baggy skirt to get a better look.

Edward smiled in amusement, and Timothy preened, his ice blue eyes crinkled in happiness. "I'm happy you like them Bella. A lot of people think my shoes are too weird."

I gaped at him. "You designed these?"

"Yes, honey. Shoes are my passion."

"My God, I hate that I live so far away, or else I'd be in here every week."

"If you don't mind me saying so," Timothy began as I tallied up prices in my head, looking at even more shoes. "You have fabulous taste in shoes, but not so much in clothes. What's up with the granny look?"

I laughed, not at all offended by his frank observation. "My mom didn't allow me any money or a job, so everything I own came from the Goodwill store."

Timothy gaped, very animatedly. "What a tragedy!" He claimed. I shrugged. "I live with my dad now, and he's letting me have my first real wardrobe. These will be the first real shoes I ever own."

If the man grinned any harder, his face was going to split. "I wish everyone else liked my shoes like you do. I don't get much traffic here and had to lower my prices to make rent on the store and my apartment too. Honey ends are meeting, but it's frayed as hell. My lease is up next month, so I'm going to rent some cheaper spots back home in Port Angeles."

"Hey, we're from forks!"

"No shit?" Timothy squealed. "Tell you what. Do you have a job?" I shook my head. "How would you like to work for me? I can only pay you minimum wage, but you'd get an employee discount plus a free pair of shoes once a month if you promise to only wear my creations."

I gaped at him, and I think Edward may have also. "Seriously?"

"What do you say honey? It would help me out. I'd have an employee and free advertising if you wear my shoes everywhere...well, you know, besides when you have to wear workout shoes or hiking shoes or something."

"Deal!" I think I was even jumping up and down. "That's so freaking awesome!"

Edward grinned at my excitement. "Alice is going to shit a brick." he laughed. But I was too excited to worry about whether or not Alice would be jealous. Timothy took down my information and handed me an employee handbook. I ended up getting flats and these awesome shoes that kind of reminded me of converses, but better, in addition to the heels. My total was enough to make me cringe, but I handed over card, being soothed by the fact that I probably wouldn't have to go shopping ever again, I had the money and I needed to have these shoes.

Because he liked me and I "looked like a kid who deserved to have someone be nice to me once in a while', he gave me half off instead of the usual employee discount of 25%. Of course I protested, that was too much.

"Nonsense girl. I'm not about the money first. I love seeing people excited about my creations, and if I just so happen to make a good living off of it, then that's just the cherry on top. Besides girl, you got 32 pairs of shoes."

"32!" I squeaked. Hell. He handed me my card back and started stacking my purchases into huge bags. "Damn girl." Edward was in awe, and to be honest, so was I. Even with the discount, I'd spent a grand, easily. I'd only been in here 45 minutes!

I handed my card to Edward. "Hide this from me until we get home."

EB EB EB EB EB EB EB EB EB EB EB EB EB EB EB EB EB EB

Alice caught up to us in the Apple Store as Edward, who I'd learned was extremely tech savvy, showed me different nuances on the iPads we were playing with. All of my shoe bags littered the floor at our feet. She gaped at my purchases, but didn't say anything, as she was toting a considerable number of bags herself.

I'd called my dad again, and told him how much I spent, just to be safe, even though he said I didn't have to. He'd told me that I didn't do too much damage and that it was perfectly fine, he was just glad that I got things that I needed. Especially when I told him that my bags had filled Edward's trunk and the rest of them would probably take up half of the back seat. "It definitely sounds like you got your money's worth." he'd said, and when I told him that Edward and I were killing time in the Apple Store until Alice was done, he suggested that I ask Edward to show me the best computers and he would make up for the money I spent on it, as it was a school necessity.

I was now the proud owner of an iMac. The thing was gargantuan, but Edward insisted that it was a really good computer. I'd gotten a student discount, and since Edward, wearing his brother's UW hoodie, had convinced the salesman that we were purchasing for computers for college, I got a $100 dollar rebate that he'd allowed me to apply towards the purchase of a refurbished iPad, as they are way cheaper than the regular new ones. Edward was buying one also, and said that they would be a good idea for school. He would show me how to put all of my school books onto it, how I could use it to take notes at school so I wouldn't have to carry around numerous books and notebooks. And since it was small and light, it would easily fit into my bag.

We paid, and thankfully, finally, we were in the car, headed home. Alice was, once again, in the backseat, surrounded by all of my shoeboxes and eagerly going through them. "I'm so jealous Bella, that was a pretty awesome deal." I grinned, excited about my new job, but very sleepy. It felt so good to be sitting down. I closed my eyes, wanting to just rest them for a bit, but the next thing I knew, I was in Edward's arms. "Wa's go'n on?" I muttered, groggy and confused. I heard his dad laugh, and realized that we were standing in the Cullen's foyer. Well, Edward was standing.

He put me down gingerly, and I blushed. "Go splash some water on your face and wake up dear." Esme smiled at me. "It's time for dinner" I nodded, stumbling clumsily up the stairs, feeling very much like I was surrounded by heavy fog, still disoriented and half asleep.

Dinner was a nice, relaxed affair. I'd eaten once today and I was starving. I think I barely tasted anything I was shoveling into my mouth. "So how was the trip?" Carlisle wanted to know. "It was good." I answered. "I got a lot of clothes and shoes, I even got a new computer and iPad for school and a job."

"Sounds like you three had a very productive day." Esme said. I nodded. After I thanked Mr. and Mrs. Cullen for dinner, Esme came upstairs to admire my purchases and then everyone went to bed, exhausted from the long day.

Sunday was proclaimed Pajama Day, and the Cullen kids, Rosalie, Jasper and I all lounged around in the basement watching movies. My dad came over for dinner, and I told him all about my new job. After dinner, all of the teens retreated back into the basement and we watched movies until we passed out in a pile of of blankets on the floor.

Monday, we slept in and enjoyed the day off from school. I made brunch for everyone and enjoyed the enthusiastic soundtrack that they made as they ate. Around 4, Emmett instructed us all to start getting ready and to dress warm. It would be dark in another 2 hours and we had to get going. When I asked where he was taking us, he smiled at me, but his answer made me very uneasy and a bad feeling settled deep in my gut.

"I'm taking you to a bonfire in La Push."

**AN: I am sooooooooooooo very sorry about the long long wait. I got ridiculously busy and then I got a nasty case of writers' block. But please review! Reviews are better than Fetishward AND 2 grand worth of new clothes shoes. Let me know what you think about the dual POV per chapter. Like it? Love it? Hate it? **

**Next Chapter: The Bonfire, Jacob Black and the dangers of leaving your drink unattended around unscrupulous characters. **


	6. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

**BPOV**

Just the mention of a bonfire set my teeth on edge. The one and only other time I'd gone to one, I ended up in the hospital. I felt a little better because I had good clothes this time, and maybe that would keep anyone from bothering me. But I was still nervous.

Both Edward and Alice noticed that I was unusually quiet, even for me. "What's the matter Bella?" Edward asked, watching me intently after Alice had excused herself to go get a snack. I shrugged, but he wasn't having it. "You're pale and you're shaking." He pointed out. "What's the matter?"

I looked down and noticed that my hands, were, in fact, trembling. Nuts. I really didn't want to confess, but it was only fair, considering that I knew their ugly past.

"There was this guy at my last school," I began, deciding to rip off the band aid, so to speak. "who tried to pretend that he was interested in me, but he kind of made me nervous. He invited me to this football game, and the bonfire was afterwards. I told him that I couldn't, I needed to get home, and avoided him, but my mom forgot to pick me up and I had to sit through the game because the school was locked.

"He found me and pulled me over to a group of his friends."

Edward's face paled and I knew he was thinking the worst, but in truth, this was just a part of the drama. "They were drunk," I continued. "sneaking liquor during the game out of soda bottles." I could practically smell the alcohol on his breath when I closed my eyes. "They surrounded me and started pulling at my clothes, but I ran." I could still hear their taunting words and jeers, could still feel their hands grabbing at me and pushing me from one grubby set of hands to the other as they called me fat, ugly and pathetic. "One of them pushed me and I hit my head hard. Someone heard the commotion and the next thing I knew, I was waking up in the hospital."

I felt a twinge of emotion at leaving out what was probably pertinent information, but I would feel a whole lot worse if they found out and cut all ties with me. Alice moved into the room from where she'd been hovering in the doorway. "Bella, did they..."

"No."

Edward stared at me, an indescribable look covering his face. "How long ago was this?" I grasped his hand in mine and placed it in my hair, right on the still tender bump.

"Tuesday."

He swore and Alice gasped. "Is that why you left?"

"Yes."

"Oh, Bella!" Alice exclaimed, ever one for the dramatics. "We don't have to go."

"We can stay here and watch movies." Edward chimed in I smiled, warmed by their willingness to stay back with me, but I wanted them to enjoy themselves. "It's okay guys. I'm just a bit nervous about it. Besides, you all will be there with me."

"Are you sure?" Edward was watching me with a burning intensity that I had to look away from. "Yes, I'm positive." I smiled, unsure if I was trying to reassure him or me as I gathered my things and headed to the en suite to change. An hour later, I sat in the passenger seat of Edward's car, nervously playing with the hem of my new sweater as we followed Emmett's Jeep into what I'm told is the Reservation. I could see the bright orange glow of the fire up ahead.

Edward placed a calming hand on top of mine. "Relax babe." He smiled at me. "I won't let anything happen to you."

We parked with all the rest of the cars and Alice bounced over to us from Emmett's truck. Edward held one hand, and she grabbed onto the other. Immediately I felt better. We walked closer to the fire and found spots to sit in the sand. I recognized a few kids from school, like Jessica Stanley and Mike Newton, but not many others, and there were a lot of Native American kids that I'd never seen before.

There were kids all over, playing football and soccer, and throwing was even a table off to the side where a particularly tall kid was handing out hot chocolate. Everyone looked like they were having so much fun goofing off in the light of the huge fire, but all I could think about was that jerk King and his pig friends.

I shivered as the chill chased down my spine, not even shooed away by the warmth of the flames. Edward saw me shake, and, thinking I was cold, took his heavy letter jacket off and draped it over my shoulders. I was immediately enveloped in his scent, a mix of cologne and something that was woodsy and uniquely Edward. I calmed instantly. "Thank you."

"Anytime." he grinned that dazzling grin at me. "Keep it Bella. I noticed that you didn't get any coats at the mall."

I was shocked, both by the fact that I hadn't thought to get a coat to protect me from Washington winters, and that he was giving me his jacket. "A-are you sure?"

"Positive." He placed a quick kiss on my nose and a goofy smile spread on my face before I could help it. A guy wouldn't give a girl his letterman if he wasn't seriously interested in her right? Alice laughed at us and snarked "You two are about to give me a cavity."

Edward flipped her off. We found and open stretch of sand a nice distance away from the fire, and Alice spread out a blanket for us to sit on. I sat between the two and examined Edward's jacket. It was lined with thick, soft fur on the inside, which made it deliciously warm and cozy, especially since the furs strongly trapped his scent inside. There were a plethora of patches on the sleeves off this thing, for both sports and academics.

He leaned over and pointed them out to me. There were varsity soccer and honor roll patches for each year that he'd been in high school thus far, and a couple patches with an arrow through two C's that I didn't recognize. "Those are Cross Country. Track." he explained.

"I have a jacket too" Alice piped up. "It only has academic patches on it though." She scoffed at me when I asked her why she wasn't wearing it. "I never wear it. It doesn't match any of my outfits Bella." She said, as if I were slow. I did feel a bit slow as I marveled "But they're so warm!"

"That was Alice's doing." Edward explained to me. "The year Emmett got his jacket, she stole it at Christmas time and had it lined with fur."

"Faux fur." She corrected. He pretended not to hear her. "She gave it to him for Christmas and insisted that if he was going to wear the tacky thing, it could at least be warm. And she did the same to mine later."

"I suggest you not take that off around Jessica." Alice drawled. "She's been trying to get her hands on it for years."

I shrugged awkwardly. Maybe I should just give it back to him if the girl was going to make my life Hell over it. "It's Bella's now." He said firmly. "She'll get over it." Or maybe I'll just keep it, I thought with a smile.

Despite the good feeling I was having sitting thigh to thigh with Edward, out proximity to the fire, and the warmth of his jacket, I was still a little cold. My hands and ears were freezing!

"I'll be back." I rose, unable to take the chill anymore. I would probably need my fingers one day, after all. "I'm going to get a hot chocolate. Anyone else want one?" They didn't, but Edward slipped a bill into my hand to pay for it. My dad was right..he was a good person. Already he was taking care of me and sticking up for me , and I'm glad I'm giving him a chance. I think when I get back, I'll tell him that I want to give this couple thing a try.

"Well hi there." The tall Native American boy behind the table grinned toothily at me behind the many cups of visibly steaming hot chocolate."Um, hello. I'd like one of those please." I said, handing the money to him. He smiled at me...a kind of creepy, eerie smile, and waved it away. "For you, pretty lady, on the house."

"Um, thanks?" I very much wanted to get away from him and his predatory grin, but the warm cup felt so good in my hands that I couldn't help but to blurt out "How do you keep these so hot out here?"

He pointed to the small fire behind him with a huge pot on it that I failed to notice. "Oh. Right." I took a sip just to dispel the awkwardness and have something to do. The flavor that exploded on my tongue caught me off guard. "This is good! What's in it?"

His grin broadened. "Quileute secret." He teased.

"Coo-yute?" I repeated slowly, trying the word out. He nodded and said by way of explanation"My tribe."

"Right, well." Escape! My brain screamed at me, this guy was weird. "I think my boyfriend's looking for me. Thanks for the hot chocolate."

I whirled around and nearly ran back to where Edward sat, Alice no where in sight. "You alright?" he asked, studying me. "You looked a bit uneasy over there."

I chugged half of the hot chocolate, and smiled, feeling warm and fuzzy now that I'm back in Edward's presence. "I'm great now. Listen, I want to talk to you about...this relationship thing."

"This relationship thing?" He smirked, easily lifting me to rest between his legs, my back to his chest. "Do tell." He whispered in my ear. I shivered again. "Still cold?" He wrapped his arms around me. I gulped, "No, not at all."

His answering chuckle was deep and hugely sexy. "What did you want to talk about Isabella?" He asked after I sat there, basking in the Edward Effect for God knows how long. I turned slightly to face him and was floored by the intense look in his verdant eyes. Damn this man had sexy eyes. I chugged the rest of my hot chocolate, trying to buy time until my brain regained functionality.

Edward became impatient, and took my cup, placing it out of my reach. "Bella." Even exasperated, the way he said my name was doing things to me. What the hell is wrong with me? "Bella." He said again. "Are you agreeing to be my girlfriend officially?"

I smiled at him, feeling loopy and goofy. "Yes. Yes, I a-"

His lips were on mine in an instant, cutting me off, but who cared. I had quickly that his kisses were beyond glorious, and this one was no different. His tongue slipped into my mouth, surprising me a bit. "You taste good." I giggled.

"Do I?" He leaned in again, and I was very ready for the feel of his lips back on mine, but a huge shadow loomed over us, distracting us. "Sorry to interrupt this kiss-fest." Emmett's face was grim. "But I can't find the pip squeak."

I pulled back, wide eyed, knowing just how important Alice's safety was to her brothers. "Fuck." Edward swore, gripping the bridge of his nose between his fingers. Shit, that's hot.

Edward gave me a shocked look and Emmett burst out laughing. "Did I say that out loud?"

"Bella, are you okay?" Edward was looking at me strangely.

"Yeah, yeah. Go find Alice, I'm alright."

With one last confused and amused look, respectively, the Cullen brothers left to find their sister. I sat there on the blanket, feeling awkward by myself, and suddenly queasy and very hot. What the hell?

Maybe it was bad hot chocolate. I should probably figure out where to use the bathroom in case I had to throw up. Standing up, though, was suddenly hard. Everything was spinning. Son of a bitch. Son of a bitch, he put something in my drink.

I was so shocked, I fell, right where I had been standing. My empty cup crunched under my butt and I fumbled it into my jacket pocket. Then I forgot why I just did that. What the fuck did I need an empty cup for? And why the hell is it so hot? Oh no, oh no. Was I drunk? Or drugged.. Shit. I whipped off the jacket, and then my glasses, trying to get more cool air to my face.

"Hey, are you okay?" The creepy Quileute with the To-Catch-A-Predator smile was back, standing in front of me. When the hell did I get up, I couldn't have sworn I was sitting. And when the hell did I take my bun loose? I picked up the ends of my hair and stared at them.

"Hey." The tall kid snapped his fingers in my face, smiling. "I'm not a fucking dog!" I snapped at him. "Why're you still here? What did you put in my drink?"

"Nooothin." he drawled lazily. Argh. Why was everything so fuzzy? Glasses. Where are my glasses. I felt around my face, looking for them with my free hand. Then I realized that the prick Drink Spiker had been leading me away from the crowd and behind a tiny house.

"What's your name Pretty Lady?"

"Edward's Girlfriend." I sniped, flinging his hand away from my face. "Whoops." the movement screwed my precarious balance, and I fell in to the wall. Drink Spiker was on me in a hot second, tugging at my clothes and kissing my neck.

"N-no." I protested. My voice sounded weak and far away to my own ears. "Shh, girl." He put his hand over my mouth. "Relax. Edward said I could borrow you for a little bit. We're sharing."

I went limp. What? "Edward said s'okay?" I slurred, batting weakly at his hands, feeling oddly tense. "Yup. He'll be here soon, so let's play."

Why would Edward do that? I tasted salt. Tears? I was crying. Drink Spiker slipped his hands inside my jeans and palmed me. "Fuck, it's working." He laughed. "You're so wet."

"NO!" I jerked back, the sharp movement landing me flat. Shit. The sand was cold on my back. Where was my sweater? "Where's Edward?" I cried.

"Will you shut the fuck up?" I could feel icy air or my hips and then my legs. He was on top of me, trying to work my pants and underwear down. Fuck this. No, damn it. I need help.

"I said shut up!" I realized that I had been screaming when the sound abruptly cut off and turned into coughs. My stomach hurt. This was awful. I was having the most wonderful dream about making out with Edward in front of the fireplace and it turned into this horrible nightmare. This was so much worse than Royce in Phoenix. I closed my eyes. Maybe if I pinch myself, I'll wake up.

**AN: Uh oh. Sorry to leave you hanging there after a short chapter, but it was necessary. It was weird trying to make Bella's thoughts scattered and disjointed, so thoughts and criticism are welcome. Reviews are better than Edward to the rescue! They'll also result in a longer chapter posted in a couple days instead of a week or so. Until then my lovelies :)**


	7. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

**EPOV**

God damn it. Fuck. SHIT! I knew we should have fucking stayed at home. I caught one of the drunk Res kids fucking around with Alice and Emmett almost beat the shit out of him. We decided then and there that we were gonna go home, so of-fucking-course, I get back to the blanket and my girlfriend is nowhere in sight.

Her jacket, glasses, hair tie, and one of her damn shoes were still on the ground. Why the fuck didn't she have her God damned shoe on? Then I noticed the line of people waiting for hot chocolate and I realized that the tall kid was missing. If he had massed with Bella, I am going. To. Jail.

I stopped a girl as she walked by on her way to take over the concession table. "What happened to that guy that was here?" I asked her. "She rolled her eyes. "Check behind the houses. My asshole brother's usually fucking someone back there at these things."

"God damn it!" I yelled. Alice gasped next to me, horrified. I grabbed her arm and hauled her over to where Emmett was standing next to Rose and Jasper, venting about the Res kid he'd almost fucked up.

"Jazz." I all but flung my sister and my keys at him. "Take Alice and Rose, go get Bella's shit and get them to the car. Do. Not. Let. Alice out of your motherfucking sight, you hear me? Emmett, come with me."

"Dude, what the fuck is your problem?" Emmett asked, still moving to follow me. "I think that guy spiked Bella's drink, now she's gone." I turned towards the houses and took off, knowing Jasper would do as I asked or risk Em and I fucking his face up if something happened to my sister.

I was almost to the first house when I heard her screaming. Em swore and I pushed my legs, running faster. I scream cut off abruptly, just as I rounded the side of the house and witnessed the fucker driving his elbow into her stomach.

"Son of a bitch!" Emmett went flying, all 247 pounds of him flattening the asshole. As soon as I caught glimpse of Bella I stopped cold in my tracks. Her eyes were screwed shut and she was crying, sobbing these awful keening noises, frantically pinching herself. "Wake up, wake up, wake up!" She cried over and over. Her sweater was gone and her pants were unzipped. Her jeans and underwear pulled halfway down her legs.

Oh no. No, no no, fuck fuck. "Edward." She cried, "Edward, please, where's Edward?" Her words snapped me out of my shot and I flung myself down next to her, quickly ripping my sweater off and covering her with it. She flinched when I touched her, and then lay as still as stone as I righted her clothes as quickly as possible. Her body was like dead weight and she was completely limp in my arms as I gathered her up. I rose, holding her close and caught sight my brother beating the hell out of the Res kid. The fucker was laughing and that shit disturbed me.

"Emmett." I croaked, feeling bile fighting it's way up my throat. "She..she..we gotta go." He delivered one more blow to the kid's smiling face and stood, immediately leading the way. Bella had quieted her crying and was saying my name over and over. I adjusted her and she moved, her hand loosely gripping my wife beater.

People had started to gather and swarm around us, trying to get a look as I carried Bella back to the car, deducing I'm sure, most of what happened. Emmett cleared a path through and I followed him quickly.

"Edward." Bella gasped, fingers twitching against my neck and chest. I tried to sooth her, but she wasn't hearing me. "Edward didn't tell you he would share." she muttered weakly. "He didn't, you're lying. He's a good person, Daddy promised. You're lying, you're lying."

Son of a bitch, son of a motherfucking bitch. I'm going to kill him. The next time I lay eyes on that kid, his ass is mine. In my arms, Bella kept muttering scattered sentences. We made it to the parking lot and Emmett slapped the drivers side of my car, where Jasper sat. "Take them home!" He bellowed, not stopping his stride until he and I were at his jeep. As soon as we were inside, he floored it. Bella was shaking in my lap now, violently quivering and crying. I buckled the seat belt over the both of us right before my brother took a savage right turn.

We blew right past Charlie in his control car. He usually hung close to the Reservation on bonfire nights in case things got out of hand, and tonight was no different. Immediately, Emmett's car phone rang.

"Emmett, why the fuck are you driving so fast? You'd better not be drunk!" His voice was harsh and loud over the sound of his siren's and Emmett's engine. "Daddy?" Bella cried, her head snapping up. "Daddy, help me!"

"B-Bella? What the fuck is going on?" He fairly roared. Emmett took another sharp turn and Baby's stomach couldn't take it. She threw up on me. "Fuck."

"One of the Res kids put something in Bella's drink" Emmett talked over the chaos. "It's bad Charlie."

Our second father cursed a half a dozen times and disconnected the call. He followed us the rest of the way to the Emergency room exit where my Dad and a female doctor were waiting for us with a gurney. I was out before Em even killed the engine.

"I'll carry her." I told dad, not in the mood for an argument. "She won't let go." Luckily, Dad just turned and led us to an empty room. He had to pry Bella's fingers away from my shirt, and when he did, she freaked.

"Bella! Bella!" Charlie burst into the room. "What happened?" He screamed, turning on me. "Why weren't you with her?"

I looked down, feeling like shit. I _should_ have been with her. "One of the drunk kids was fucking with Alice." Emmett ground out. "When we found her, Bella was gone."

"Edward, Edward please!" Bella was screaming again. I watched in horror as the female doctor strapped her to the bed. My father was checking her pupils with his pen light, ever the calm one in the middle of a storm. I went over to her and held her hand and try and calm her but the She-Devil doctor was having none of it. "You all need to leave, so I can examine her."

I'm sure that ball busting tone of hers worked on residents and nurses, but I'm not fucking leaving, and I told her so. Not a chance in hell I was gonna leave Bella in here strapped down and calling for me. Not. Gonna. Happen. "Carlisle." She went to my dad for back up. He turned to me and frowned. "Edward, you have vomit all of you. Go change and you can come back."

"I'm not leaving." I said again. "She doesn't know where she is and she's asking for me."

"Go change." he said again, tone brooking no argument. I glared at him, the damn turncoat, and went to go find some scrubs. This is bullshit! I should be in there with her.

"Edward." I saw Jasper in the waiting room with the girls and almost lost my shit. "Ge them out of here!" I growled. Alice, of course, ignored me and handed me a familiar red cup. "It was in the jacket pocket." She said. "Bella knew she'd been drugged.

I shoved the cup back at her and told her to take it to our dad, wanting the fucking thing out of my sight. Spotting what I needed, I snatched up a pair of scrubs from behind the nurses station and went into the bathroom to change. When I came out, Alice barreled into my chest, crying.

"Eddie, they're doing a rape kit." She sobbed. I just hugged her, feeling sick and petrified and furious. We stood there for a while, as I knew there was no way I'd be allowed in now, until my dad came for me. He told me Bella was still asking for me. I left Alice in his care, and hurried back to my baby.

She was wearing a hospital gown now, and hooked up to an IV and a breathing hose. Her face was a horrible puce shade of green. "We gave her something to make her throw up," Dad explained, easing up behind me with Alice clutching his arm. "She seems a little better now, but we're going to keep her overnight and see how she's doing in the morning." He shifted my sister over to me and turned to leave, probably to retrieve Charlie, and I followed him. "The kit?" I whispered.

He winced and sighed. Fuck, not a good sign. "There was penetration-"

"Fuck!" My heart dropped down into my stomach.

"Not fully." He assured me quickly. "Her hymen is still intact, but there is proof of penetration so, it's classified as rape Edward. Charlie's gone with Emmett back to the Reservation to try and find who did this."

I have never felt so fucking sick in my life. It took everything I had in me not to throw up as I nodded at my dad and went back to my girls. I dropped heavily into the seat besides the bed and Bella offered me a weak smile. I smiled back for her and moved my arm, allowing Alice to curl up into my side. "Bella, how are you feeling Baby?"

"I'm so glad you're here." She smiled and startled to ramble. "He said you told him you would share me but I knew, I knew it wasn't true."

"It wasn't true." I confirmed, using my free hand to caress hers. "You know I would never do that, don't you?" She nodded, but I guess the movement made her nauseous so she turned and threw up into this little bean shaped bowl thing. "Sorry." She croaked.

"It's okay." I told her truthfully. "It doesn't bother me. Are you alright?"

"I feel out of it."

"You are out of it. Do you remember what happened?"

"The tall kid...he drugged me." She turned and threw up again. "He was on top of me. He..He..." She threw up twice more, sobbing and choking, and Alice ran from the room crying. What a fucking mess.

"It's okay. Shh, it's okay Bella." I rubbed her back until she finished, and then handed her a paper towel and some water to rinse her mouth out with, all the while making sure I could still hear Alice outside of the doorway.

"Did...did he...um... I'm sore." Her question turned into an admission and once again I felt like I was going to revisit my lunch. "He got inside a little bit." The truth. I waited. Bella didn't freak out, or throw up again, but she looked sad. So fucking sad. "I understand if you don't want to be with me anymore." She whispered.

"Bella, stop!" I would give her a little shake if I didn't think she would upchuck all over me again. "I'm still your boyfriend." I insisted. "One Supreme Asshole is not going to change that."

Then she did start to cry and went back to muttering nonsense. I shushed her and rocked up, and that's how Charlie and Alice found us an hour later; me sitting on the edge of the bed and she asleep on my shoulder. They stayed a while, and then left. Charlie knew I wasn't going to leave this room until Bella did, so he clapped a hand on my shoulder, told me to try and get some sleep, and that he'd be back in the morning.

EB EB EB EB EB EB EB EB EB EB EB EB EB EB EB EB EB EB

Motherfuuuuuuuuuck. Why didn't hospitals have curtains? Sick people didn't want to wake up with this shit in their face, blinding them. Especially not ones who spent the entire night in and out of sleep vomiting. I looked over to check on said patient, and sure enough, she was squinting and looking extremely disgruntled. I couldn't blame her. I know for a fact that she didn't stop throwing up until almost 5 this morning, and now here it was, 7 am. My dad walked in just in time to laugh at us. "My don't you two look chipper! Bella, how are you feeling?"

"Blinded." She grunted.

"Amen." I cosigned. Again, Dad laughed at us. "No nausea?"

"No."

"Headache?"

"No."

"Excellent."

"Can I go to school?"

At this, I looked at her, aghast Surely she must have threw up her brains into that little bean bowl. What in the blue hell would she want to go to school for? "Bella.." My father sounded both doctorly and parental. "You haven't gotten much sleep. You'll be released but you and Edward should probably go home and rest. Esme is going to look after the both of you."

"Yes sir." She acquiesced.

I sighed in relief. "Thank God."

Being the doctor's son had it's perks. Bella's discharge was expedited and in one hour exactly, I was wheeling Bella down to the front of the hospital, where my mother was waiting for us in her powder blue Mercedes truck, with Charlie on her cell.

"Hi Dad," Bella giggled into the phone as I hauled her into the passenger seat. "No, I understand you have to work. I'll be perfectly fine with Esme, she's awesome. Yes. Okay, I'll see you tonight. Bye."

She handed my mother back her phone and relaxed into the seat. "Well," My mother smiled at us both. "Hope you two don't mind hanging out with this old fuddy duddy today."

"What, are you kidding Ma?" I leaned up and kissed both she and Bella on the cheek. "I'm hanging with my two favorite girls today!" They both giggled.

"Bella, sweetheart, how are you feeling?"

"Much better." Bella smiled. "I really appreciate you coming to get me."

"Oh honey, you're one of my children now. It's not a problem at all."

When we got home, Mom made us breakfast. Pancakes for me, and dry toast and eggs for Bella, who opted out of anything heavier. Then we all went into the living room to watch some television. Not too long afterwards, Bella fell asleep with her head in my mother's lap.

That's when she turned her All-Knowing Mom Eyes on me. "Edward?" Aw damn, here it goes. "Are _you_ okay Honey?" And just like that, my traitorous eyes teared up. My mom reached out and pulled my head down onto her shoulder. "Oh Baby, it's not your fault."

I sniffled like a kid who needed his Mommy, and wiped my eyes, embarrassed. "I think he set us up Ma. One of his friends was messing with Alice and we couldn't find her. Bella was acting weird, but I never thought it was because he'd done something to her drink." I hissed, pissed and hurt and ashamed. "I was just so worried that Alice had fallen and hit her head or something that I just left her there. I should have let Emmett look and stayed with her. Damn it, I was only gone 5 minutes and he was raping her!"

And then I was crying and couldn't stop. "Edward." Mom tilted my chin towards her and forced me to look at her. "Edward it's not your fault. It's not." She said. "Everyone knows you're protective of your sister since the surgery, and they used it against you. That is NOT your fault. What if you had stayed with Bella and your brother couldn't find your sister in time?

"What happened was unfortunate but it's not anyone's fault but that awful boy's."

A part of me heard what she was saying, but nothing she was saying was changing the fact that I could have prevented this whole mess. I should have just put my foot down and insisted that we stay in the basement watching movies. Still. Still I cried and couldn't make myself stop. Before I lost the last bit of my control, I gently disentangled myself from my mother and closed myself up in my room.

Fuck! Fuck, fuck, fuck, motherfuck! Damn it. She told me! Bella TOLD me what happened the last time she went to a bonfire. I knew she was freaked out and I should have kept a better eye on her. I may not have done this, true, but I could have stopped it from even being close to happening.

A soft knock cut through my pity party and I hastily wiped my face. "Come in."

Bella slowly opened my door and stood, looking unsure, in the doorway. Her face was blotchy and wet, and I knew she'd been crying too. Damn it. I didn't say a word; just opened my arms to her. She climbed into my lap and I sank down to the floor and rocked her. "I'm so sorry, Baby. So, so sorry." I whisper into her hair.

"No, Edward." She strokes my neck as she cries into my chest. "I don't blame you, not at all. You saved me."

I have no idea how long we sat there, rocking on the floor. I knew at some point that my mom and Bella's Dad had come in to check on us, but I couldn't look at them, so I looked at Bella instead. She had fallen asleep, so I stood and, holding her with one arm, pulled the cover back and tucked her in. When I went to step into the hallway, Charlie was there, waiting for me.

"Thank you Son." his voice was thick, heavy. I nodded and allowed myself to be pulled into a hug by the man I was lucky enough to have as a second father. "The Quileutes won't tell who did this." He says. "But, I'm calling my friend Billy over this weekend, and if you and Emmett will give a description to him, we'll get whoever did this."

**A/N: I am sooooo so so so so sorry for the long wait. Please forgive me! As I was about to post my chapter, I was all of a sudden, unhappy with it, and the 3 chapters that I'd written after it, and so I tried to start over, but I'm still unhappy with it because I'm not sure which direction I want to take it anymore. The result is, unfortunately, a much shorter chapter than what I had originally, because I don't want to post something and then change my mind about where I led my characters. Never fear, I will have it situated, and soon! **

**I'm working on the next chapter right this minute, but I just want to say thank you all so much for reading and reviewing. It means so much to me, you have no idea. Please continue to do so. **


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 7**

**EPOV**

Today. Fucking. Sucked. I really wish Bella and I could have stayed home today, but both she and my mother insisted, so now I've spent all day fending off stupid douche bags who thought it was perfectly okay to spread rumors about my girl. She'd worn her usual baggy skirt and sweater today, and the students who'd seen her wearing "normal" clothes at the bon fire were saying all sorts of nasty shit. Her tolerance was dwindling and we'd ended up spending out lunch hour in the car, just to give her a little bit of peace.

Thankfully it seemed to help. It was nice and cozy in the car with the heat on, and her curled up under my letter jacket. She seemed relaxed finally, in my arms, and truthfully I felt better with her there. It just felt right. "How are you feeling?" I asked her. She was quiet for a long while, so much so, that I thought she had fallen asleep. And then she said "Why won't you kiss me anymore?"

I gaped at her, stunned. "What-…. I mean… I didn't want to make you uncomfortable.""

Again, she got quiet, and I wondered if I'd said or done the wrong thing. After a long while she whispered softly "He didn't kiss me."

I stared at her, at a loss. "I…don't understand."

"He didn't kiss me." She said again. "I'm not going to-..I want you to kiss me. Please?"

Aw damn. Not the 'please' face! I'm a sucker for her, and if she ever figures it out, I'm good and fucked. When she said 'please' it went straight to my dick. Now how in the hell am I supposed to refuse her anything when that happens? So I tilted her face up to mine, and the first thing I saw was that her big brown eyes were watery. I slowly pushed her glasses up into her hair and hoped like hell that this wasn't about to mess anything up.

She met me halfway. It hadn't even been a week, but Holy Mary, Mother of God, I'd missed these lips. Even still, I was careful to go slow with her until I knew that she was okay. And boy, was she okay. I felt one of her soft hands on the side of my neck, and the other buried itself in my hair as she leaned into me. Yes! She could have all the control she wanted, as long as she didn't stop. She pressed closer and closer to me until she had climbed into my lap, needing this just as bad as me. She kissed me aggressively, tugging on my hair until I couldn't bite back my moan. "Fuck, Bella."

She was killing me. My sexy but innocent girlfriend was killing me. I was trying to take it easy, but it was next to impossible to be gentle with her kissing me the way that she was. My hands, those sneaky fuckers, they had a mind of their own and tugged her bun loose, digging deep into those thick waves. I used to fistfuls of hair to pull her head to the side so I could trail kisses down the length of her throat, just like in my dream.

She gasped, stiffening, and immediately, I pulled back. "Baby?" I took a good look at her face, and damn it all, she looked sexy as hell, lips swollen and red from my kisses. But she was wide eyed, and I worried that I'd pushed too far.

"Are you okay?"

Still panting, she nodded. "It…doesn't feel the same." She whispered. "Yours feels better."

Come again? I growled, sexy mood out of the window. "He kissed you on the neck?" Fucker put his stupid lips on my woman too? She nodded again, looking beyond me. "But yours feels better."

"Damn right it does." I huffed, smacking a kiss onto her nose and lifting her off my lap. Mjolnir protested, but not too hard, since we were both kinda pissed at the reminder of that shit putting his grubby parts all over our woman.

Thankfully she was off lost in her thoughts, and didn't notice the swan dive my mood had taken. I helped her out of the car and smirked, feeling all kinds of smug satisfaction as I watched her blush and adjust her skirt. "Come on Beautiful." I tucked her under my arm. "Let's head to Biology."

Of course the reprieve at lunch was just that… a reprieve. We loitered in the hall a bit, and talked to Alice, but when Bella and I headed to class, the fuckery started right back up with a vengeance.

We were the last two to walk in, and of-fucking-course, Jessica was sitting in Bella's seat, wearing her stupid, simple looking smirk, leaving the only open seat next to Mike Newton, who was giving us this odd-ball ass look, which I didn't like one damn bit. Bella immediately let go of my hand and turned to go sit next to Newton, and I snatched it right back up. Hell no.

"You're in her seat." I glared at Jessica, daring her to refuse to move her ass. She smiled at me, unaware of my temper. "I'd rather work with you Eddie." She simpered. "Mike doesn't do his half of the work."

"I don't give a damn." I snarled, and next to me, Bella flinched. "Get, the fu-"

"Is there a problem here?" Mr. Banner breezed into the room, immediately noticing two students standing in the middle of the room. "Not at all." I answered flatly, turning my glare on Newton, before I blew up on the hoe bag. "Newton, go sit next to your lab partner."

He practically flew out of his seat, the damn wimp. But he knew better. I was the team captain, and soccer season was about to start. He knew not to even try pushing it with me. I urged Bella into a seat and hander her her bag before taking the one next to her. Mr. Banner gave us all a funny look, but thankfully, didn't say a word to us, just went about starting the lecture. I opened my book and took notes, but I have no idea what we even studied. I was too busy fuming. I knew how Jess worked, and Mike was milk toast when it came to her. She was a scheming bitch and he always did whatever the hell she told him to. I would definitely have to watch those two.

Unfortunately my last class was soccer practice, which punk ass Newton wasn't in because he could barely handle after school practices, let alone after school practice AND class. I'm positive his dad being the coach was the only reason he was even on the varsity team. He hated the cold, he hated getting hit, his aim was barely tolerable and he had no endurance whatsoever. Just thinking about it was egging on my temper, and by the time I walked Bella to the small gym and headed to the locker room to change, my mood was way worse. I put so much power into my kicks that I almost broke Crowley's nose, and coach pulled me aside and ordered me into the locker room to talk to me about 'Whatever the hell your problem is, Cullen.'

**BPOV**

Edward had been my rock throughout this whole ordeal, and I'm so grateful for him. I'm grateful for all of the Cullens and for my Dad, but grateful for Edward in a different way, because he provided something for me that I wasn't aware that I was missing or that I even needed. I've never known what it's felt like to be close to someone mentally, emotionally, or physically. I dealt with everything on my own, and to have someone to discuss my fears with and to hold me when I feel overwhelmed was….an awesome feeling.

When we got to biology and Jessica Stanley was in my seat, I was so surprised when Edward made such a big deal out of us sitting together. And I was extremely thankful to have that, even if Jess glared at me afterwards and I had to deal with both she and mike in gym the next period. Edward worried me a bit though. He looked so angry all through class, but when he walked me to gym, he kissed me softly on the temple and told me that he would be waiting for me after class.

I took a deep breath when I walked into the locker room, but nobody said anything to me. Even still, I dressed quickly and hurried out into the gymnasium where Coach Klein was setting up what looked to be dodgeball. Oh. Great.

Of course I ended up on one team with both Mike and Jessica sneering at me from the opposite side. I hovered near the back, hoping to stay out of their target range, but our front line was quickly taken out. I saw Jessica whispering to a couple of her friends and I knew then. I just knew what was about to happen.

I caught all but the last one. The last one hit me with deadly accuracy right in the face. I heard a crunch right before the dull ache of the back of my head hitting the hard wooden floor. There was a lot of confusion after that. My entire head hurt, and my ears were ringing, and for some reason, I could only see red. Everything sounded far away, but I managed to hear screaming before I felt an awkward weightlessness.

"Shit you're heavy." I heard in my ear. "Soft too." Newton… Lovely. I felt his disgusting hot breath panting down my neck. It smelled unpleasant, like he'd eaten something with garlic and onions in it. "Then put me down." I demanded, before the fool dropped me on my head. He was starting to stagger beneath my weight, and the jagged motion was making my head swim. But still, he was overly confident when he said "Nah, I've got you" in this sickeningly sweet voice. "You know Bella," he continued on. "You're kinda cute without the ugly ass glasses. Maybe that's why Cullen likes you, the prick."

I flailed my legs, thoroughly grossed out, and tried to make him put me down, but still he struggled on, wobbling like a drunk man."

"I saw you at lunch you know," he yammered on. "getting out of Cullen's car with your clothes all messed up. I'm not stupid Bella. You wear those clothes and look like a grandma, but you spread these thighs for anybody who shows a little interest, don't you? Well, I want my turn. I won't tell anyone." He pinched the inside of my thigh and I flailed again, kicking hard until he dropped me. I landed hard against a set of lockers, half bling and having no idea what part of the school I was even in.

"Leave me alone."I groaned.

"C'mon Isabella."

"Don't call me that!" He was crouched next to me, trying to pick me back up. He batted my hands away, laughing at me. Ï said I wouldn't tell anyone," He said again. "Not even your precious Cullen."

"I said leave me alone!" I screamed. I heard footsteps then, and hoped like hell it was someone coming to get Mike Newton away from me. I heard two voices then, one of them Edward's.

"What the fuck!"

"Michael? What are you doing?"

**EPOV**

Newton hit the lockers behind him with a satisfying thud. I went to knock the shit out of him again, but Coach Newton grabbed my arm. "Don't, Cullen. Take her to the nurse's office, I'll deal with him." I glared at his douche of a son, fully intending to murder him, but Bella needed some serious help. Her face was bruising on one side and there was a cut somewhere in her eyebrow that bleeding down into her eye, down her face and all over her PE shirt.

The second look at her enraged me all over again. "You piece of shit! What the fuck did you do to her?!"

"Cullen!" Coach pulled me off of his sorry son again and pushed me back, yelling "Go!"

Bella flinched away from me at first, but then relaxed into my arms as I easily lifted her up and carried her out of the boys locker room, where I could hear Newton giving his son hell. I took a deep breath and tried to calm my raging heart. We quickly arrived in the nurses office, where the nurse flew into a fit, quickly cleaning Bella's face and demanding to know what happened, all while she pulled up the file to call Charlie.

I should have known Jessica had something to do with it. Fucking bitch. The PE teacher came in, bring the broken pieces of Bella's glasses with him. Soon after, Charlie showed up, and he, Bella and I had a disciplinary meeting in the principal's office with Stanley, her parents, Newton and his dad, plus Coach Klein. I was glad to see that I wasn't the only one that was pissed. Chief Swan was having none of it. He hit both Mike and Jessica with his scariest You're In Trouble cop stare and told them he was pressing charges on them both for assaulting his kid. The Stanleys protested, and Jessica burst into tears. Newton turned about 8 shades whiter, but his father didn't say a word. In addition, both the fuckers had after school detention for 2 months, and Newton's father kicked him off of the team.

"That's not fair!" Jess screamed, her bleached hair flying around her head like Medusa snakes. "I'm going to Port Angeles today to get my costume for the Halloween party!" I glared at her. If she thought she was stepping foot in my house after this shit, she was fucked in the head.

"Really now, Chief Swan," Mrs. Stanley batted her eyelashes at Charlie. "Surely this kind of punishment is unnecessary? They're children."

Charlie's face turned red. "Your _child_ attacked mine. She has blood all over her, and _this_ one-" he pointed a threatening finger at Newton. "-was supposed to be escorting her to the nurse's office and got caught sexually harassing her in the boys locker room!"

"_Lord knows why._" Mrs. Stanley muttered, and Bella flinched, hard. I was glad she couldn't see the look of disdain the woman had on her face, but I glared right back at her, daring her to make another of the kind of stupid ass comments her child was famous for. I don't give a damn how old she is, I would fuck her shit up.

She looked at me, surprised, and kept her stupid mouth shut. I could feel my ears getting hot, and I knew it was getting harder and harder for me to control my temper. Fuck this. I grabbed Bella's hand and stood. I don't even think I would have stayed if Charlie asked me too at that point, but thankfully he didn't protest, so I got my girl out of there before I said something that was liable to get us kicked out of the entire state of Washington.

**I am SOOOOOO soo sorry about the wait. Life just really got in the way, but I'm trying my best to get back on track. I lost one of my notebooks, AND my computer died a slow and painful death, so I'm having to rewrite this part, and it's completely raw. I was in such a rush to post it that I didn't make it very long, or spend much time checking it, so I apologize for any mistakes. Next chapter should be longer. No more ridiculously long waits, promise!**


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